[*    JUL  22  1903      *] 


Division  'BS&42! 
Section    .iiy.'PS^ 


THE  EXTRA-CANONICAL 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


THE    EXTRA- 
CANONICAL 
LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Being  a  "Record  of  the  A6is  and  Say- 
ings of  fesus  of  Nazareth  Drawn 
from    Uninspired  Sources 


,  /     BY 

Bernhard  Pick,  Ph.D.,  D.D. 


FUNK   &  WAGNALLS   COMPANY 

NJ5W  YORK  AND   LONDON 
1903 


Copyright,  1903,  by 

FUNK   &  WAGNAXI^S  COMPANY 

[Printed  in  the  United  States  of  A  merica] 

Published  January,  1903 


PREFACE 

I  MAKE  no  apology  for  bringing  a  work  of 
this  kind  before  the  public,  because  it  fills  a  gap 
in  Jesus-Literature.  The  number  of  the  lives  of 
Jesus  is  legion,  and  each  has  its  own  peculiarity. 
One  is  written  from  a  positive,  another  from  a 
negative  standpoint ;  one  is  constructive,  another 
destructive;  one  is  popular,  another  scientific. 
There  are  those  who  find  the  evangelical  history 
in  Buddhistic  sources  like  R.  Seydel  (das  Evan- 
gelium  von  Jesu  in  seinem  Verhaltnis  zur  Bud- 
dha-Sage und  Lehre,  Leipzig,  1882;  die  Bud- 
dha-Legende  und  das  Leben  Jesu,  1884;  2d  ed. 
1897),  and  N.  Notowitsch  {die  Lilcke  im  Leben 
Jesu,  Stuttgart,  1894),  and  those  who  have 
treated  the  life  of  Jesus  for  socialistic-atheistic 
propaganda  like  D.  Nieuwenhuis,  G.  Lommel,  E. 
Wurm,  F.  Engels,  ^i.  al.  (on  which  compare  H. 
Kcihler,  Sozialistische  Irrlehren  ilber  die  Entste^ 
hung  des  Christentums,  Leipzig,  1889).  These 
writers  do  not  concern  us  here,  because,  whatever 

5 


PREFACE 


their  standpoint,  the  canonical  gospels  were  their 
source.  We  also  are  not  concerned  with  a  work 
like  that  of  E.  Sayous,  Jesus-Christ  d'apres 
Mahomet  (Leipzig,  1880),  because  whatever  we 
find  in  the  Koran  and  Mohammedan  writers  is 
mainly  derived  from  those  acanonical  records 
which  form  the  basis  of  the  first  two  parts  of  the 
following  pages.  Our  aim  is  to  present  the  life, 
work  and  sayings  of  Jesus  as  we  find  them  in 
works  which  the  church  never  recognized  as  her 
own,  and  which  by  way  of  contrast  are  called 
acanonical  and  apocryphal.  Besides  what  we 
find  in  these  works,  whose  authors  in  most  cases 
certainly  "  meant  to  weave  around  the  brows  of 
Christ  a  garland  of  honor,"  we  have  also  drawn 
from  non-Christian  material,  as  will  be  seen  in 
the  sequel. 

From  the  introduction  the  reader  will  see  how 
large  the  acanonical  material  is.  For  the  sake 
of  system  we  have  arranged  the  whole  into  four 
parts.  The  first  two,  comprising  the  life  of 
Christ,  from  his  birth  to  the  resurrection  and  as- 
cension, are  mainly  based  upon  the  so-called 
apocryphal  gospels.  The  third  part  comprises 
miscellaneous  records  pertaining  to  Jesus,  and 
contains  also  the  newly  discovered  fragment  of 
6 


PREFACE 

the  gospel  of  Peter.  The  fourth  part  contains 
the  "  Sayings  of  Jesus,"  derived  from  lost 
gospels,  patristic  literature,  the  Talmud,  and  in- 
cludes also  the  newly  discovered  Logia,  edited  by 
GrenfeU  and  Hunt  in  1897.  The  "  Sayings  " 
have  been  arranged  according  to  a  certain  plan, 
which  has  also  been  adopted  in  section  xii.,  en- 
titled "  Scattered  Sayings."  This  part,  which 
contains  the  largest  number  of  "  sayings,"  is  so 
arranged,  that  "  sayings "  found  in  one  and 
the  same  author,  or  in  one  and  the  same  work, 
are  put  together. 

The  bibliography  will  not  only  prove  a  wel- 
come help  to  the  students  of  religious  science, 
but  will  also  show  the  importance  of  the  records 
which  are  presented  in  this  book.  The  author's 
only  wish  is:  toller  lege. 

B.  Pick. 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  November ^  1902. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 17 

PART  I 

COMPRISING  NARRATIVES  REFERRING 
TO  THE  LIFE  OF  MARY,  AND  THE 
BIRTH,  CHILDHOOD,  AND  BOYHOOD  OF 
JESUS 41 

Section  i.  The  parents,  birth,  childhood  of 
Mary.    When    three   years    old,    she   is 

BROUGHT  TO  THE  TeMPLE,  WHERE  SHE  IS 
ministered  to  by  angels  till  SHE  IS  FOUR- 
TEEN YEARS  OF  AGE  AND  GIVEN  TO  JOSEPH  .        43 

Section  n.  The  Annunciation  to  Mary 
— Mary  visits  Elizabeth — ^Joseph  returns 
to  his  home — Journey  to  Bethlehem — 
Birth  of  Jesus  in  the  cave  before  Beth- 
lehem         48 

Section  hi.  CiRCUMasioN  of  Christ — Pre- 
sentation IN  THE  Temple — Visit  of  the 
Magi — Massacre  of  the  Innocents      .       .      52 

Section  iv.  The  flight  into  Egypt — Mira- 
cles   PERFORMED    BY    JeSUS    ON    THE    M^AY   TO 

Egypt  and  in  Egypt 58 

1.  The  wild  beasts  worship  Jesus      .        .      58. 

2.  Jesus  commands  the  trees  and  the  spring     60 

9 


CONTENTS 


page; 

3.  Jesus  shortens  the  way  to  Egypt — The 

idols  fall  down 63 

4.  Jesus  heals  the  demoniac  son  of  the 

priest — Idols    fall    and    are    broken — 
Robbers  run  away 66 

5.  Healing  of  a  demoniac  woman  and  of  a 

dumb  bride     .      ' 68 

6.  Healing  of  the  demoniac  woman  and  the 

leprous  girl 70 

7.  The  unfortunate  princess  and  the  heal- 

ing of  the  leprous  prince      ...      72 

8.  Jesus  heals  a  newly  married  man — The 

brother,   being  changed  into  a  mule, 
passes  again  into  his  human  form        .      74 

9.  The  magnanimity  of  the  robber — Last 

deeds  of  Jesus  in  Egypt      ...      79 
(Supplement) 

a.  Jesus  makes  a  dried  fish  live        .         .      81 

b.  Jesus  makes  merry  over  twelve  spar- 

rows which  fell  into  the  bosom  of  a 
schoolmaster  81 

Section  v.  The  boyhood  of  Jesus— His  sev- 
eral DEEDS  AND   MIRACLES  ....       83 

1.  Healing  of  the  children  having  diseases 

of  the  eye 83 

2.  The  wondrous  cloak  and  the  rival  .        .      85 

3.  Healing  of  a  sick  boy  through  the  bed 

of  Jesus 87 

4.  Healing  of  the  leprous  woman  and  the 

leprous    princess 88 

5.  Demoniacs  whom   Satan  persecutes  in 

the  form  of  a  huge  dragon  are  healed  .      91 

10 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

6.  Healing  of  the  savage  Judas  .        .  94 

7.  Jesus   molds   sparrows    from   clay   and 

causes  them  to  fly — Pools  dry  up  at 
His  behest — Two  boys  die  at  His  word 
— Jesus  causes  His  accusers  to  become 
blind 95 

8.  Jesus  and   His   schoolmaster        .         .      98 

9.  Jesus   restores  to  life  a  boy  who  fell 

down  from  the  housetop,  also  a  boy 
who  died  when  cleaving  wood,  also  a 
child  which  had  died,  and  a  working- 
man  lying  dead 105 

10.  Several  miraculous  deeds  of  Jesus :   He 

carries  water  in  His  garment;  makes 
clay-figures  alive;  dyes  cloths;  turns 
His  playmates  into  kids;  causes  a  rich 
harvest 107 

11.  Jesus   in  the   den   of  the  lion — Passes 

through  the  Jordan       .        .        .        .HI 

12.  Boys  crown  Jesus  as  King — He  heals 

Simeon  of  a  serpent's  bite — Also  His 
brother  James 114 

Section  vi.  Jesus  in  the  house  of  Joseph 

ASSISTS    him    in     making     A     THRONE     AND 
LENGTHENS    A    SHORT    PIECE    OF    WOOD — He    IS 

honored  and  respected  by  the  family       .       ii7 

Section  vii.  Jesus  in  the  Temple — The 
Feast  of  Passover  121 

Section  viii.  Jesus  in  the  house  of  His  par- 
ents— Joseph's  death  and  speeches  of 
Jesus  on  that  occasion — Burial  of  Joseph    125 

II 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Section  ix.  Jesus'  address  to  His  disciples 
ON  the  universal  necessity  of  death  and 
ON  the  future  life 129 


PART  II 

NARRATIVES     OF    THE     PASSION     AND 
RESURRECTION  OF  JESUS    .       .       .        .    13S 

Section  i.  Judas  Iscariot;   his  betrayal  and 

END 137 

Section  ii.  The  Jews  accuse  Jesus  before 
Pilate — Pilate  sends  a  runner  to  fetch 
Jesus — When  the  runner  meets  Jesus, 
the  standards  are  bent  down      .        .        .    140 

Section  hi.  Dream  of  Procla — Jesus  is 
charged  by  some  with  being  born  of  for- 
nication, which  is  denied  by  twelve  men    145 

Section     iv.      Jesus     before     Pilate — New 

CHARGES   AGAINST   JeSUS 149 

Section   v.  Nicodemus   and   several  others 

SPEAK   IN    favor   OF    JeSUS         ....      153 

Section  vi.  Barabbas  is  released  and  Jesus 
sentenced  to  be  crucified      .       .       .        .157 

Section  vii.  The  crucifixion,  death  and 
burial  of  Jesus i6o 

Section  viii.  News  of  Jesus'  resurrection     .    i66 

Section  ix.  Testimony  to  the  resurrection 
OF  Jesus  and  to  His  work  in  Hades    .       .    175 

12 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Section  x.  Report  of  Jesus'  ascension — 
Jesus  is  sought  but  not  found — Testi- 
mony TO  THE  ascension I98 


PART  III 

MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS  PERTAINING 
TO  JESUS 205 

Section  i.  Testimonies  to  Jesus     .       ,       .    207 

1.  Josephus'  testimony 207 

2.  The  testimony  of  Mara  ....    208 

Section   ii.  The    personal    appearance    of 

Jesus 210 

1.  According  to  Lentulus    ....  210 

2.  According  to  Epiphanius  Monachus      .  211 

Section  hi.  Jesus  is  baptized  by  John  .       .    213 

Section  iv.  The  choice  of  the  apostles — 'List 
of  the  seventy  disciples 215 

Section  v.  Correspondence  of  Abgar  with 
Jesus 221 

Section  vi.  Protocol  of  the  council  held  at 
Jerusalem  to  put  Jesus  to  death  .       .       .    223 

Section  vii.  Sentence  pronounced  by  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  governor  of  Lower  Galilee, 
THAT  Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  to  suffer  the 

DEATH    ON    THE   CROSS 226 

Section  viii.  The  crucifixion,  resurrection 

AND  ascension  OF  JeSUS    (ACCORDING  TO  THE 

Gospel  of  Peter)    ......    230 

13 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Section  ix.  Letters  of  Pilate  to  Claudius  238 

Section  x.  Report    of    Pilate    to    Tiberius 

C^SAR        ...,,...  241 

PART  IV 

SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 249 

Introductory  remarks      .       .       .       <       .251 

Section  i.  From  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians  267 

Section  ii.  From  the  Gospel  according  to 

THE  Hebrews       .        .        .:       .       ;.:       .  268 

Section  hi.  From  the  Gospel  of  the  Ebion- 

iTES      ..........  274 

Section  iv.  From  the  Gospel  of  Matthias    .  275 

Section  v.  From  the  Gospel  of  Philip       „:  276 

Section  vi.   From  the  Gospel  of  Thomas    .  277 

Section  vii.  From  the  Fayoom  Gospel— Frag- 
ment         <       ^  277 

Section  viii.  From  the  Gospel  of  Eve    .       .  278 
Section  ix.  From  the  Gospel  of  John  at 

Paris 278 

Section  x.  From  the  Preaching  of  Peter     .  279 

Section  xi.  The  Oxyrhynchus  Logla     .       ,  280 

Section  xii.  Scattered  Sayings      ,       .       .  283 

Mohammedan   Sayings        m       »      u      %  312 


14« 


INTRODUCTION 


IS 


INTRODUCTION 

The  first  two  parts  being  mainly  based  upon 
the  apocryphal  gospels,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
acquaint  the  reader  with  the  New  Testament 
apocrypha  in  general,  but  more  especially  with 
the  apocryphal  gospels.  Under  the  term  "  apoc- 
rypha "  we  now  understand  such  writings  as 
were  not  received  into  the  canon  of  the  New 
Testament,  so  that  "  apocryphal "  stands  in  op- 
position to  "  canonical."  Like  the  canonical 
New  Testament,  the  apocryphal  comprises  dif- 
ferent classes  of  books:  1,  gospels;  2,  acts;  3, 
epistles;  4,  apocalypses. 

1.    THE    APOCRYPHAL    GOSPELS 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  at  the  time  when 
in  all  probability  the  canonical  gospels  were 
composed,  there  was  in  existence  an  enormous 
mass  of  contemporary  evidence  by  which  their 
statements  could  have  been  corroborated,  or  if 
need  had  been,  corrected.    There  were  many  and 

17 


INTRODUCTION 


independent  sources  of  the  Christian  tradition, 
for  the  career  of  Jesus  was  not  "  done  in  a 
corner,"  but  in  the  face  of  the  world,  and  the 
witnesses  to  the  facts  were  accordingly  many. 
"  Every  believer  who  had  seen  Him  minister  or 
heard  Him  discourse  had  his  testimony  to  bear 
of  what  he  had  heard  Him  say  or  seen  Him  do. 
Every  such  rill  of  personal  reminiscences  must 
have  trickled  into  the  great  reservoir  of  the 
mind  of  the  Church  and  counted  for  what  it  was 
worth  in  the  gradual  formation  of  a  complete 
body  of  historical  teaching."  But  very  speedily 
much  of  this  corroborating  testimony  was  cor- 
rupted into  legend  more  or  less  fanciful,  and 
thus  became  untrustworthy  for  historical  pur- 
poses. The  representatives  or  the  survivals  of 
that  mass  of  co1:emporary  testimony  are  the 
apocryphal  writings — partly  extant,  partly 
known  from  fragments  or  quotations  — which 
are  nevertheless  "  of  great  value  and  interest  as 
confirming  the  substance  of  the  gospels,  and  also 
as  showing  by  contrast  what  the  Evangelical  nar- 
rative would  in  all  probability  have  been  if  it 
had  been  left  to  human  annalists,  unassisted  by 
the  Spirit  of  God."  (Wordsworth,  The  Four 
Gospels,  Luke  ii,  28.) 

i8 


INTRODUCTION 


The  first  comprehensive  collection  of  New 
Testament  Apocrypha  was  published  by  J.  A. 
Fabricius  in  his  Codex  Apocryphus  Novi  Testa- 
menti;  Hamburg,  1703,  2  vols.;  2d  ed.  1719, 
and  enlarged  by  a  third  vol.  1743.  Of  a  more 
critical  cast  is  the  Codex  apocryhus  Novi  Test., 
opera  et  studio — J.  C.  Thilo,  vol.  I.,  Lipsiae 
1832,  (incomplete).  By  far  the  best  is  Tischen- 
dorf's  Evangelia  Apocrypha,  Lipsiae,  1853;  2d 
ed.  1876 ;  Acta  Apostol.  Apocrypha,  1851 ;  2d 
ed.  by  Lipsius  and  Bonnet,  1891 ;  Apocalyps. 
Apocryph.,  1866. — The  most  recent  contribu- 
tion to  the  apocryphal  gospels  is  contained  in 
Zahn's  History  of  the  New  Test.  Canon,  vol.  II. 
p.  621-797  (1892). 

The  apocryphal  gospels  were  translated  be- 
sides into  German  and  French,  also  into  Eng- 
lish by  B.  H.  Cowper  {The  Apocryphal  Gospels, 
translated,  London  1867),  and  Alex.  Walker  (in 
Roberts  &  Donaldson's  "  Ante-Nicene  Library," 
vol.  XVI.,  Edinb.  1870).  Of  these  we  have  made 
use.  We  must  also  mention  W.  Wright,  Con- 
tributions to  the  Apocr.  Literature  of  the  New 
Test,  from  Syrian  MSS.  in  the  British  Museum, 
London  1865 ;  Tischendorf,  De  Evang.  apocr. 
origine  et  usu,  Leipzig,  1851 ;  R.  Hofmann:  das 

19 


INTRODUCTION 


Leben  Jesu  nach  den  ApohrypJien,  ibid.  1851 ; 
G.  Bninet,  Les  evangiles  apocryphes,  Paris, 
1863;  M.  Nicolas,  Etudes  sur  les  evangiles 
apocryphes,  Paris,  1866;  Variot,  Les  evangiles 
apocryphes,  Paris,  1878;  Lipsius,  die  Pilatus- 
Acten,  Kiel,  1871;  2d  ed.  1886;  die  edessen- 
ische  Ah  gar-Sage,  1880. 

The  apocryphal  gospels  are  very  numerous, 
some  of  them  only  known  by  name,  others  in 
fragments,  and  date  from  the  second  and  later 
centuries.  They  are  partly  heretical  (Gnostic 
and  Ebionite)  perversions  or  mutilations  of  the 
real  history,  partly  innocent  compositions  of 
fancy,  or  religious  novels  intended  to  link  to- 
gether the  disconnected  periods  of  Christ's 
biography,  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  concerning 
his  relations,  his  childhood,  and  his  last  days,  and 
to  promote  the  glorification  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
As  far  as  the  texts  of  these  gospels  are  extant, 
we  divide  them  into  three  classes:  1,  gospels  of 
the  Infancy;  2,  gospels  of  the  Childhood;  3, 
gospels  of  the  Passion  and  Resurrection. 

To  the  FIRST  class  belong : 

1.  The  Protevangelium  of  James.  In  twenty- 
five  chapters.  It  comprises  the  time  from  the 
annunciation  of  the  birth  to  Mary  to  the  mas- 

20 


INTRODUCTION 


sacre  of  the  innocents.  It  is  very  old  and  be- 
longs perhaps  to  the  second  century.  It  is  ex- 
tant in  Greek  and  Latin. 

2.  The  Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew.  In  forty- 
two  chapters.  Its  original  was  Latin,  and  it  was 
already  known  to  Jerome.  It  treats  of  the  birth 
of  Mary  and  the  boyhood  of  Jesus. 

3.  The  Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary.  This 
gives  in  ten  chapters  the  history  of  Mary  to  the 
birth  of  Jesus.    Extant  in  Latin. 

4.  The  History  of  Joseph  the  Carpenter.  In 
thirty-two  chapters.  It  probably  belongs  to  the 
fourth  century.     Extant  in  Arabic  and  Latin. 

To  the  SECOND  class  belong: 

5.  The  Gospel  of  Thomas.  It  comprises  in 
nineteen  chapters  the  time  from  the  fifth  to  the 
twelfth  year  of  Jesus.  It  is  extant  in  Greek  and 
Latin,  and  is  also  very  old. 

6.  The  Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy.  This 
speaks  in  fifty-five  chapters  of  the  time  of  Jesus 
from  his  birth  to  his  sitting  in  the  temple  among 
the  rabbis.    Extant  in  Arabic  and  Latin. 

To  the  THIRD  class  belongs : 

7.  The  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  comprising 

a.  The  Acts  of  Pilate  {Gesta  or  Acta  Pilati), 
chaps,  i-xv; 

21 


INTRODUCTION 


b.  The  Descent  of  Jesus  into  the  World  Below 
(Descensus  Christi  ad  Inferos),  chs.  xvi-xxviii. 
In  connection  with  the  latter  many  codices  con- 
tain besides: 

c.  A  Letter  of  Pilate  (Epistola  Pilati). 

d.  Report  of  Pilate  to  Emperor  Tiberius  of 
Christ's  Passion  {Anaphora  Pilati). 

e.  The  Giving  up  of  Pilate  (Paradosis  Pilati). 

f.  The  Death  of  Pilate  (Mors  Pilati). 

g.  The  Narrative  of  Joseph  of  Arimathaea 
(Narratio  Jose  phi  Arimathiensis) . 

h.  The  Avenging  of  the  Savior  (Vindicta 
Salvatoris). 

"  These  apocryphal  productions,"  says  Schaff , 
"  have  no  historical,  but  considerable  apologetic 
Value;  for  they  furnish  by  their  contrast  with 
the  genuine  Gospels  a  very  strong  negative 
testimony  to  the  historical  truthfulness  of  the 
Evangelists,  as  a  shadow  presupposes  the  light, 
a  counterfeit  the  real  coin,  and  a  caricature  the 
original  picture.  They  have  contributed  largely 
to  mediaeval  art,  and  to  the  traditional  Mari- 
ology  and  Mariolatry  of  the  Greek  and  Roman 
churches,  and  have  supplied  Mohammed  with  his 
scanty  knowledge  of  Jesus  and  Mary." 
22 


INTRODUCTION 


But  these  Evangelia  apocrypha  mentioned 
above  only  form  the  smallest  part  of  apocryphal 
gospels  which  were  once  current.  Of  most  of 
these  we  have  only  small  fragments;  of  some  we 
only  know  the  names,  of  others  not  even  these. 
Following  the  order  of  Fabricius,  1.  c.  I.  p.  355ff . 
we  mention  the  following,  adding  to  some  such 
literature  as  will  be  of  interest  to  the  stu- 
dent: 

1.  The  "  Gospel  according  to  the  Egyptians  " 
mentioned  by  Clemens.  Alex.  Strom.  Ill,  452, 
465;  Origen  in  Luc.  II;  Jerome,  Praef.  m 
Comm.  in  Matt.;  Epiphan.  Haeres,  Ixii,  2.  For 
the  literature  see: 

Emmerich,  De  Evang.  sec.  Ehraeos,  Aegypt. 
atque  Justini  mart.     Argentor.   1807. 

Harnack,  AltchristUche  Litter aturgeschichte 
I,  12  seq.  (1889). 

Resch,  Zeitschrift  fuer  Kirchliche  Wissens- 
chaft  und  Kirchliches  Leben,  1888,  p.  232  seq. 

Schneckenburger,  Ueber  das  Evang.  der 
Aegypter,  Ber.  1834. 

Zahn,  Geschichte  des  neutest  Kanons  II,  2 
(1892),  p.  628  seq. 

2.  The  Everlasting  Gospel  published  in  the 
13th  century  (a.  d.  1254),  probably  written  by 

23 


INTRODUCTION 


the  Franciscan  Gerhardus.  The  idea  of  a  new 
"  everlasting  gospel "  was  one  of  the  peculiar 
notions  of  Joachim  of  Floris(died  1202)  who  at- 
tacked the  corruptions  of  the  church  and  pre- 
dicted an  approaching  renovation.  It  was  con- 
demned by  Pope  Alexander  IV.,  in  1255.  See 
Renan,  Jo.  de  Flore  et  Vevangile  eternel  in 
"  Revue  de  Deux  Mondes"  1866,  p.  94-142;  al- 
most verbatim  repeated  in  the  "  Nouv.  etudes 
d'hist.  rel."  p.  217ff.  (1884). 

Rousselot,  Hist,  de  I'ev.  eternel,  Paris,  1861 ; 
republished  under  the  new  title :  Etude  de  I'hist. 
religieuse,  1867. 

Denifle,  the  Evangelium  aeternum  and  the 
commission  at  Anagni  in  Archiv  fuer  Litteratur 
u.  Kirchengeschichte  des  Mittelalters  I,  49-141 
(1885). 

Tocco,  Vevang.  eterno  in  Archivio  stor.  ital. 
1886,  Ser.  IV,  Tom.  17,  243-261. 

Deutsch  art.  Joachim  von  Flore  in  Realen- 
cyklopadie  ed.  Hauck,  3d  ed.  vol.  IX  (1901)  p. 
227  seq. 

3.  The  Gospel  of  Andrew. — Gelasius  in  "  De- 
ereto  de  Kbris  apocryphis  "  mentions  it  among 
the  books  to  be  condemned. 

4.  The  Gospel    of    Apelles,    mentioned    by 

24 


INTRODUCTION 


Jerome  1.  c.  Perhaps  this  is  only  a  mutilated 
gospel  like  that  of  Marcion.  Comp.  Harnack, 
de  Apellis  gnosi  monarcMa,  1874,  p.  75. 

5.  The  Gospel  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  men- 
tioned by  Origen  in  the  first  homily  on  Luke. 
Jerome  identifies  it  with  the  "  Gospel  according 
to  the  Hebrews  "  and  the  "  Gospel  of  the  Naz- 
arenes." 

6.  The  Gospel  of  Barnabas,  mentioned  by 
Gelasius  1.  c.  According  to  Casaubon.  exerc.  15, 
contra  Baron.  12,  p.  343,  the  gospel  of  Matthew 
was  translated  by  Barnabas  from  the  Hebrew 
into  the  Greek ;  comp.  Fabricius  1.  c.  I,  p.  341 ; 
III,  pp.  373,  528. 

7.  The  Gospel  of  Bartholomew  mentioned  by 
Gelasius,  1.  c.  On  the  tradition  that  Bartholo- 
mew brought  the  Hebrew  Gospel  of  Matthew  to 
India,  where  Pantaenus  is  said  to  have  discov- 
ered it,  see  Fabricius,  1.  c.  I,  p.  341. 

8.  The  Gospel  of  Basilides,  mentioned  by 
Origen,  Ambrose,  Jerome,  Eusebius;  comp. 
Zahn,  I.  p.  770. 

9.  The  Gospel  of  Cermthus,  mentioned  in 
Epiphanius  Haeres.     li,  7. 

10.  The  Gospel  of  the  Ehionltes.  Fragments 
of  this  gospel  wliich  the  Ebionites  called  the 

25 


INTRODUCTION 


^Evangelium  Hebraicum  are  found  in  Epiphan. 
Haeres.  xxx,  13.  16.  21. 

That  it  is  not  identical  with  the  Evangelium 
N azaraeorum,  comp.  Fabricius,  1.  c.  I,  p.  367; 
II,  p.  532;  Zahn,  1.  c.  II,  724  seq. 

11.  The  Gospel  of  Eve  mentioned  in  Epi- 
phanius  Haeres.  xxvi,  2.  3.  5. 

12.  The  Gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews, 
very  often  mentioned  and  quoted.  For  the 
literature  compare: 

Credner,  Beitrdge  zur  Einleitung  in  die  bibli- 
schen  Schriften,  I  (1832),  p.  379  seq. 

Delitzsch,  Zeitschrift  fuer  luth.  Theologie 
1850  p.  456ff. 

Delitzsch,  Neue  UntersucJiungen  iiber  die 
Entstehung  der  Kan.  Evv.  I  (1853),  p.  17 
seq. 

Emmerich,  see  under  "  Gospel  according  to 
the  Egyptians." 

Frank,  Studien  und  Kritiken,  1848,  369fF. 

Gla,    Originals pr ache   des   Matthdus,    1887. 

Handmann,  das  Hebr  der  evangelium  (Texte 
u.  Unters.  v,  3).  1888. 

Harnack,  1.  c.  p.  280fF. 

Hilgenfeld,  Zeitschrift  fuer  wissensch.     The- 
ologie, 1863,  345  seq. ;  1884,  p.  188  seq. 
26 


INTRODUCTION 


Hilgenfeld,  Einleitung  in  das  Neue  Test. 
(1875),  p.  463  seq. 

Hilgenfeld,  Novum  Test,  extra  Canonem 
receptum,  IV  (1884),  p.  5  seq. 

Keim,  Geschichte  Jesu  von  Nazara,  I  (1867), 
p.  29fF. 

Nestle,  Supplementum  Novi  Test.,  1896  p. 
76  seq. 

Nicholson,  The  gospel  according  to  the  He- 
brews, London,  1879. 

Nosgen,  Zeitschrift  fuer  Jcirchl.  Wissenschaft 
u.  Kirchl.  Lehen,  1889,  p.  499  seq.  561  seq. 

Resch,  Agrapha  (Texte  u.  Unters.  v,  4. 
1889),  40  seq. 

Schwegler,  Nachapost-Zeitalter  I  (1846), 
197fF. 

Weizsacker,  Untersuch.  uber  die  evang.  Ges- 
chichte (1864),  223ff.    Zahn,  1.  c.  II,  642fF. 

13.  The  Gospel  of  James  the  Elder,  said  to 
have  been  found  in  1595  in  Spain,  whose  apostle 
James  was ;  condemned  by  Innocent  XI.  in  1682. 

14.  The  Gospel  of  Judas  Iscariot,  mentioned 
in  Irenaeus  adv.  Haeres.  I,  35. 

15.  The  Gospel  of  Leucius. 

16.  The  false  "  Gospels  "  published  by  Lu- 
cianus. 


27 


INTRODUCTION 


17.  The  Gospels  of  the  Manichaeans,  of 
which  four  are  mentioned: 

a.  The  Gospel  of  Thomas,  on  which  see  Har- 
nack,  1.  c.  I,  15fF;  and  Zahn,  1.  c.  II,  p.  768ff. 
This  gospel  is  different  from  that  which  is 
mentioned  above  under  5. 

b.  The  Living  Gospel,  mentioned  in  Photius 
contra  Manich.  lib.  I. ;  Epiphan.  Haeres.  Ixvi, 
2;  Cyrill.  Hieros.  catech.  6. 

c.  The  Gospel  of  Philip,  comp.  Zahn,  1.  c. 
II,  761fF. 

d.  The  Gospel  of  Ahdas. 

18.  The  Gospel  of  Marcion,  edited  by  A. 
Hahn,  Das  Evangelium  Marcion's  m  seiner 
urspriinglichen  Gestalt  (Konigsberg,  1823),  and 
reprinted  by  Thilo,  1.  c.  p.  401  seq. — Compare: 

Becker,  Examen  critique  de  Vevangile  de 
Marcion,  Strasburg,  1837. 

Ritschl,  das  Evangelium  Marcion*s  und  das 
Evang.  des  Luhas,  Tubingen,  1846. 

Simond,  Vevangile  de  Marcion  comparS  & 
celui  de  Luc.    Toulouse,  1850. 

Volkmar,  das  Evangelium  Marcion's,  Leipsic, 
1852. 

Heim,  Marcion,  sa  doctrine  et  son  ivangile, 
Strasb.  1862. 


INTRODUCTION 


Harting,  De  Mar  done  lucani  evang.  ut  fertur 
adulteratore,  Utrecht,  184!9. 

Sanday,  The  Gospels  m  the  Second  Century^ 
London,  1876. 

Zahn,  1.  c.  II.  p.  449. 

19.  The  Gospel  of  Matthias,  mentioned  by 
Origen,  Homil.  I  in  Lucam,  Eusebius,  Hist, 
Eccles.  iii,  25;  Jerome,  Praef.  vn  Comment,  in 
Matthaeum. 

20.  The  Gospel  of  Perfection,  used  by  the 
Basilidians  and  other  gnostics,  mentioned  Epi- 
phanius  H acres,  xxvi,  2. 

21.  The  Gospel  of  Peter,  mentioned  by  Origen 
m  Matth.  viii,  17  (tom.  xi,  p.  223);  Eusebius 
Hist.  Eccles.  iii,  3,  25;  vi,  12;  Jerome,  catal, 
script,  eccl.  de  Petro  and  de  Serapione.  It  was 
used  toward  the  end  of  the  second  century  in  the 
congregation  at  Rhossus  in  Cihcia,  where  Ser- 
apion,  bishop  of  Antioch  (since  191)  found 
it,  and  after  examining  its  heretical  character, 
wrote  a  writing  concerning  it  to  the  congrega- 
tion at  Rhossus.  A  few  fragments  of  this  writ- 
ing are  preserved  by  Eusebius  Hist.  Eccles.  vi, 
12.  A  fragment  of  this  Gospel  of  Peter  was 
discovered  by  the  French  Archaeological  Mis- 
sion, Cairo,  in  a  grave  (supposed  to  be  a  monk's) 

29 


INTRODUCTION 


in  an  ancient  cemetery  at  Akhmim  (Panopolis), 
in  Upper  Egypt,  in  1886.  It  was  published  in 
1892  under  the  care  of  M.  Bouriant  in  vol.  ix., 
fasc.  i,  of  the  Memoirs  of  the  French  Archae- 
ological Mission  at  Cairo.  The  interest  in  this 
new  find  may  be  seen  from  the  following  edi- 
tions besides  that  of  Bouriant:  Baljon  (Utrecht, 
1896) ;  Funk  in  Theol.  Quartalschrift  1893, 
278fF.;  von  Gebhardt  (Leipsic,  1893);  Har- 
nack  (Texte  and  Untersuch.  ix,  2,  1893); 
Kunze,  das  Petrus-Evangelium,  1893;  Lods 
(facsimile  of  the  MS.  with  introduction  Paris, 
1893);  Robinson  and  James  (London,  1892); 
von  Schubert,  die  Komposition  des  Pseudo — 
Petrinischen  Evangelien — Fragments,  Berlin, 
1893;  Zahn,  das  Evangelium  des  Petrus,  1893. 
Besides  see  also:  Baljon  in  Theolog.  Studi'en, 
1894,  Iff;  Harnack,  Altchristl.  Litter aturges- 
chichte  I,  lOff . ;  Theolog.  Litter aturzeitung, 
1894,  9fF. ;  Hilgenfeld,  Zeitschrift  fuer  wis- 
sensch.  Theologie,  1893,  220ff . ;  Koch,  Kirchliche 
Monatsschrift,  1896,  31  Iff. ;  Meunier,  L'evangile 
selon  S.  Pierre,  Paris,  1893;  Robinson,  The 
New  World,  1894,  690fF. ;  Sabatier,  L'Evangile 
de  S.  Pierre,  Paris,  1893 ;  von  Soden,  Zeitschrift 
fuer  Theologie  und  Kirche,  1893,  52ff. ;  Stan- 
30 


INTRODUCTION 


ton,  Journal  of  Tlieol.  Studies,  1900,  6  (Oct.), 
p.  Iff. ;  Volter,  Petrus-Evangelium  oder  Aegyp- 
terevangelmm?  1893 ;  Zahn,  Geschichte  des 
neutest.  Kanons,  II,  810ff.  The  English  of 
Peter's  Gospel  is  found  in  Part  III  of  this  work. 

22.  The  Gospel  of  the  Simonites. 

23.  The  Gospel  according  to  the  Syrians^ 
mentioned  by  Eusebius  Hist.  Eccles.  iv,  22. 

24.  The  Gospel  of  Tatian,  also  called  the 
Diatessaron.  See,  Tatiani,  Diatessaron,  anti- 
quissimum  N.  T.  evangeliorum  in  unum  diges- 
torum  specimen,  by  Semisch,  Breslau,  1856; 
Zahn,  Tatian' s  Diatessaron,  1881. 

25.  The  Gospel  of  Thaddaeus  mentioned  by 
Gelasius  in  Decret. 

26.  The  Gospel  of  Valentinus  mentioned  by 
TertuUian  de  praescript  haeret,  c.  49;  comp. 
Zahn,  Gesch.  des  neutest.  Kanons  II,  p.  748. 

27.  The  Gospel  of  John  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  Templars  at  Paris ;  comp.  Thilo, 
1.  c.  p.  817  seq. — This  work  was  first  noticed  (in 
1828)  by  the  Danish  bishop  Muenter,  as  well  as 
by  Abbe  Gregoire,  ex-bishop  of  Blois.  It  is  a 
vellum  manuscript  in  large  4to,  said  by  persons 
skilled  in  palaeography  to  have  been  executed  in 
the  13th  or  14th  century,  and  to  have  been 

31 


INTRODUCTION 


copied  from  a  Mount  Athos  MS.  of  the  12th. 
The  writing  is  in  gold  letters.  It  is  divided  into 
nineteen  sections,  which  are  called  gospels,  and 
is  on  this  account  supposed  to  have  been  de- 
signed for  liturgical  use.  The  twentieth  and 
twenty-first  chapters  are  omitted,  but  there  are 
many  interpolations. 

Whether  we  have  exhausted  the  list  of  apoc- 
ryphal gospels,  or  not,  we  know  not.  Fabricius 
mentions  fifty,  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
after  a  very  careful  examination  this  number 
can  be  reduced,  since  different  names  are  some- 
times given  for  one  and  the  same  writing.  But 
whatever  the  number,  the  question  arises:  what 
was  the  motive  for  these  compositions.  We  may 
say  it  was  twofold.  In  the  first  place  it  was  the 
pious  wish  of  too  curious  Christians  to  know 
something  more  of  those  events  in  the  life  of 
Christ,  of  which  the  New  Testament  writings 
say  little  or  nothing  at  all.  To  satisfy  this 
desire,  authors  put  together  what  tradition  of- 
fered and  supplemented  the  gaps  by  their  own 
inventions.  Thus  the  author  of  the  Gospel  of 
Pseudo-Matthew  states  as  motive  for  his  under- 
taking :  "  amor  ergo  Christi  est,  cui  satis- 
fecimus  "  (i.  e.  "  it  is  the  love  of  Christ  there- 

32 


INTRODUCTION 


fore,  which  we  fulfil");  as  the  author  of  the 
legend  of  Paul  and  Thecla  declared  to  have  com- 
posed his  fiction  "  out  of  love  to  Paul "  {id  se 
amore  Fault  fecisse).  In  order  to  give  the  com- 
position authority,  the  author  inscribed  his  book 
with  the  name  of  some  apostle  or  disciple,  thus 
vindicating  for  it  a  high  antiquity.  In  the 
second  place  these  compositions  emanated  from 
dogmatic,  mostly  heretic  motives,  to  give  some 
historical  support  for  the  religious  views  of  the 
authors.  On  this  account  the  heretical  gnostics 
were  especially  fruitful  in  apocryphal  produc- 
tions (comp,  Epiphanius  Haercs.  xxvi,  8,  12), 
but  other  heretics  of  the  oldest  church  contri- 
buted their  share  also.  This  will  in  part  ex- 
plain the  great  uncertainty  of  most  apocryphal 
texts,  which  exist  not  only  in  different  recensions 
but  according  to  necessity  were  manifoldly  in- 
terpolated and  mutilated. 

But  whatever  the  motive  of  the  author  may 
have  been,  whatever  value  we  may  attach  to  these 
quasi-Gospels,  certain  it  is  that  they  throw  here 
and  there  side-lights  on  this  or  that  passage  of 
the  GospeLs,  and  furnish  a  class  of  evidence  to 
the  Gospels,  considered  as  narrations  of  histor- 
ical facts,  such  as  is  obtainable  in  no  other  way. 

33 


INTRODUCTION 


"  Partly  they  presuppose  the  truth  of  the  sep- 
arate facts,  because  they  use  them  as  points 
d'appui  (so  to  speak)  around  which  to  arrange 
their  webs  of  prismatic  fiction;  partly,  strange 
as  the  remark  may  appear,  they  imply  that  the 
facts  of  our  Savior's  Life  had  already  been 
narrated,  because  they  make  no  attempt  to  nar- 
rate them,  but  undertake  separate  departments 
and  incidents  of  the  Ministry  of  Christ  for  their 
own  treatment."  {Church  Quarterly  Review, 
1881,  p.  113.) 

2.    APOCRYPHAL   ACTS 

The  numerous  Apocryphal  Acts,  Epistles  and 
Apocalypses  were  prompted  by  the  same  mo- 
tives of  curiosity  and  dogmatic  interest  as  the 
apocryphal  Gospels,  and  have  a  similar  apolo- 
getic, though  very  little  historical,  value.  The 
heretical  character  is,  however,  more  strongly 
marked.  The  best  edition  of  Apocryphal  acts 
is  the  2d  ed.  of  Tischendorf's  Acta  Apostolorum 
Apocrypha  denuo  eA.  Lipsius  et  Bonnet,  1891, 
with  which  must  be  compared  Die  apokryphen 
Apostelgeschichten  und  Apostellegenden  by 
Lipsius,    1883-1890,   4   vols. 

1.  Acts  of  Peter  and  Paul,  made  use  of  in 
the  15th  century  by  Lascaris  (1490)  to  prove 

34 


INTRODUCTION 


the  abode  of  Paul  in  Messina,  and  by  Abela  in 
the  17th  century  (164?7)  to  prove  that  Paul 
was  sliipwrecked  by  the  Sicilian  isle  of  Melita. 
The  Acts  are  of  Ebionite  origin. 

2.  Acts  of  Paul  and  Thecla,  mentioned  al- 
ready by  Tertulliah  and  ascribed  to  an  Asiatic 
presbyter.  In  Syriac  the  a,cts  were  published 
by  Wright  Apocryphal  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
London,  1871.  See  also  Pick,  art.  in  McClin- 
tock  and  Strong's  Cyclop,  s.  v.  Thecla  and  Paul, 
Acts  of. 

3.  Acts  of  Barnabas,  composed  according  to 
Lipsius  between  480-90. 

4.  Acts  of  Philip,  made  use  of  at  an  early 
period  already,  and  mentioned  by  Gelasius. 
See  also  Lipsius  in  Jahrhiicher  fur  protest.  The- 
ologie,  1891,  pp.  459-73. 

5.  Acts  of  Philip  in  Hellas,  later  than  the 
preceding.  The  Syriac  is  published  by  Wright, 
I.e. 

6.  Acts  of  Andrew,  mentioned  already  at  a 
very  early  date  as  used  among  the  Manichaeans 
and  other  heretics. 

7.  Acts  of  Andrew  and  Matthias  mentioned  as 
being  used  by  the  Gnostics,  Manichaeans,  and 
other  heretics.    Epiphanius  the  monk,  who  lived 

35 


INTRODUCTION 


in  the  tenth  century,  gives  extracts  from  these 
Acts.  Jacob  Grimm  published  in  1840  an  old 
Anglo-Saxon  poem,  entitled  Andrew  and  Helene, 
the  argument  of  which  in  great  part  coincides 
with  that  of  the  Acts  of  Andrew  and  Matthias. 
A  Sjriac  translation  of  the  Acts  is  found  in 
Wright,  1.  c.  p.  93fF. 

8.  Acts  and  Martyrdom  of  Matthew.  These 
seem  to  be  a  continuation  of  the  former  and  were 
the  source  for  most  traditions  concerning  Mat- 
thew, at  least  for  Nicephorus's  Hist.  Eccl.  ii, 
41.  The  Greek  text  was  first  edited  by  Tischen- 
dorf. 

9.  Acts  of  Thomas.  These  belong  to  a  very 
early  time  and  like  the  Acts  of  Andrew  were  used 
by  the  heretics.    Syriac  by  Wright,  1.  c. 

10.  Consummation  of  Thomas.  This  is  no 
doubt  closely  connected  with  the  former.  First 
published  by  Tischendorf  from  a  MS.  belonging 
to  the  xi.  century.     S3'^riac  by  Wright,  1.  c. 

11.  Martyrdom  of  Bartholomew,  edited  by 
Tischendorf  from  a  xiiith  century  MS.  Comp. 
also  Lemm  in  Melanges  Asiatiques,  etc.,  Peters- 
burg, 1890,  torn.  I,  pp.  103-105. 

12.  Acts  of  Thaddaeus  (Syriac  Addaeus). 
The  mission  of  Thaddaeus  to  King  Abgar  of 
Edessa,  the  correspondence  between  Christ  and 

36 


INTRODUCTION 


Abgar,  etc.  is  a  very  old  tradition.  The  Acts 
were  edited  by  Tischendorf  after  a  Paris  codex 
of  the  eleventh  century,  and  are  based  on  the  so- 
called  Doctrine  of  Addai.  See  Pick,  art.  in 
McChntock  and  Strong,  s.  v.  Addaei  Doctrina 
(vol.  xi  p.  41.) 

13.  Acts  of  John,  mentioned  already  very 
early  and  used  by  certain  Gnostics  and  Mani- 
chaeans.  Photius  and  Innocent  I,  ascribe  the  au- 
thority to  Leucius.  Tischendorf  published  two 
fragments ;  new  fragments  were  edited  by  Zahn, 
Acta  Joannis,  1880. 

For  other  Acts,  mostly  fragments,  see  Lipsius- 
Bonnet. 

3.    APOCRYPHAL    EPISTLES 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  corre- 
spondence between  Christ  and  Abgar.  Tradi- 
tion knows  also  of  other  writings  of  Christ, 
which  are  given  by  Fa^ricius  Cod.  Apocr.  Novi 
Test.  I,  pp.  303-324 ;  III,  pp.  439, 511  seq.  Tra- 
dition also  mentions  epistles  of  Mary,  epistles 
of  Peter  to  James,  a  third  Epistle  of  Paul  to 
the  Corinthians,  the  correspondence  between 
Paul  and  Seneca  (six  letters  by  Paul  and  eight 
by  Seneca),  mentioned  by  Jerome  and  Augus- 

37, 


INTRODUCTION 


tine.     See  Zahn,  Gesch.  des  neutest.Kanons,  II, 
p.  612  seq. 

4.   APOCRYPHAL  APOCALYPSES 

Altho  the  names  of  apocryphal  apocalyp- 
ses are  numerous,  of  a  few  only  the  text  or 
fragments  are  extant.  Tischendorf  published 
in  1866  Apocalypses  apocryphae. 

1.  The  Apocalypse  of  John,  which  Is  different 
from  the  canonical  book  known  under  the  same 
name.  Before  Tischendorf  three  MSS.  of  the 
apocryphal  apocalypses  of  John  were  known, 
which  were  published  by  Birch  (Auctarium 
1804).  Tischendorf  discovered  five  other  MSS., 
which  essentially  differ  from  each  other.  On 
the  basis  of  these  MSS.  he  published  his  text, 
1.  c.  70-94.  For  another  apocalypse  of  John, 
said  to  have  been  found  in  Spain  in  1595,  and 
translated  into  Spanish  by  Caecilius  (a  disciple 
of  the  older  James),  see  Fabricius,  I,  p.  961  seq. 

2.  The  Apocalypse  of  Peter,  mentioned  al- 
ready in  the  Muratorian  Canon,  and  by  Euse- 
bius,  Jerome,  et  al.,  has  recently  been  discov- 
ered in  part,  together  with  the  Gospel  of  Peter. 
See  Dietrich,  Beitrdge  zur  ErMdrung  der  neu- 
entdechten  Petrus — Apokalypse,  Leipzig,  1893; 
Harnack,  die  PetrusapoK-alypse    in    der    alien 

38 


INTRODUCTION 


abendldndischen  Kirche,  1895;  Robinson  and 
James,  The  Gospel  according  to  Peter  and  the 
Revelation  of  Peter,  1892;  Baljon,  De  Open- 
baring  V.  Petrus  (Theol.  Studien,  1894,  35ff.). 
There  is  another  and  later  apocalypse  of  Peter 
in  Arabic,  of  which  MSS.  exist  in  Rome  and 
Oxford.  The  book  is  said  to  have  been  written 
by  Clement,  to  whom  Peter  had  communicated 
the  secrets  revealed  to  him.  The  writer  himself 
calls  the  book  Librum  Perfectionis  or  Librum 
Completum. 

3.  The  Apocalypse  of  Paul  (dva^artKov  nauXov) 
is  based  on  the  report  of  his  rapture  into  Para- 
dise, 2  Cor.  xii,  2-4.  A  Syriac  text  with  an 
English  translation  was  published  by  Cowper, 
London,  1866.  A  Greek  text  with  a  reprint  of 
Cowper's  English  translation  was  published  by 
Tischendorf ,  1.  c.  pp.  34-69. — For  another  Apoc- 
alypse of  Paul,  see  Fabricius,  I,  p.  943  seq. 

4.  The  Revelation  of  Bartholomew  is  extant 
in  fragments  in  a  Coptic  text  preserved  at  Paris, 
which  Dulaurier  edited  with  a  French  transla- 
tion, Paris,  1835 ;  the  latter  is  reprinted  by  Tis- 
chendorf, 1.  c.  p.  xxiv  seq.,  where  p.  xxvii  frag- 
ments of  an  Apocalypse  of  Mary  from  very  re- 
cent codices  are  also  given. 

39 


INTRODUCTION 


5.  An  Apocalypse  of  Thomas  is  mentioned 
by  Gelasius,  who  also  mentions 

6.  An  Apocalypse  of  Stephen.  Sixtus  Senen- 
sis  Bibl.  Sacr.  lib.  2,  p.  142,  also  mentions  an 
apocalypse  of  Stephen  and  refers  to  Serapion 
adv.  Manich.  who  stated  that  this  apocalypse 
was  highly  esteemed  among  the  Manichaeans. 
But  Fabricius  (I,  p.  966)  states  that  he  no- 
where found  such  a  reference  in  Serapion. 

Apocrj'^phal  Acts  and  Revelations  have  been 
translated  into  English  by  Alex.  Walker  (in 
Roberts  &  Donaldson's  "  Ante-Nicene  Library," 
1870).  Other  translations  have  already  been 
mentioned. 

From  the  above  it  will  be  seen  that  the  intro- 
duction, ( in  preparing  which  we  perused  the  art. 
of  R.  Hoffmann  in  Herzog's  R.  E.  3d  ed.  vol. 
I  (1896)  s.  v.  Apokryphendes Neuen  Test.)  only 
treats  of  the  New  Test.  Apocrypha,  and  not  of 
the  "  Sayings  of  Jesus."  A  special  introduction 
to  these  will  be  found  at  the  beginning  of  Part 
IV. 


40 


PARTI 

COMPRISING  NARRATIVES  REFERRING 
TO  THE  LIFE  OF  MARY,  AND  THE  BIRTH, 
CHILDHOOD,  AND  BOYHOOD  OF  JESUS 


4t 


SECTION  I 

The  parents,  birth,  childhood  of  Mary — 
When  three  years  old,  she  is  brought  to 
THE  Temple,  where  she  is  ministered  to 

BY   angels    till    SHE    IS    FOURTEEN    YEARS    OF 
AGE  AND   GIVEN   TO  JoSEPH 

(Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  i-8;    Hist,  of  the 
.Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  1-8;  Protevang.,  chs.  i-io.) 

Mary  was  a  daughter  of  Joachim  and  Anna, 
both  of  Davidic  descent.  The  former  lived  at 
Nazarethj  the  latter  passed  her  early  years  at 
Bethlehem.  They  lived  piously  in  the  sight  of 
God,  and  faultlessly  before  man,  dividing  their 
substance  into  three  portions,  one  of  which  they 
devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Temple,  another  to 
the  poor,  and  the  third  to  their  own  wants.  So 
twenty  years  of  their  lives  passed  silently  away. 
But  at  the  end  of  this  period  Joachim  went  to 
Jerusalem  with  some  others  of  his  tribe  to  make 
his  usual  offering  at  the  Feast  of  the  Dedica- 
tion. It  chanced  that  Issachar  (or  Reuben,  ac- 
cording to  another  reading,)  was  high  priest. 

43 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

He  scorned  Joachim,  and  drove  him  roughly 
away,  asking  how  he  dared  to  present  himself  in 
company  with  those  who  had  children,  while  he 
had  none;  and  he  refused  to  accept  his  offer- 
ings until  he  should  have  begotten  a  child,  for 
the  Scripture  said :  "  Cursed  is  every  one  who 
does  not  beget  a  child  in  Israel."  ^  Joachim  was 
ashamed  before  his  friends  and  neighbors,  and 
retired  into  the  wilderness  and  fixed  his  tent 
there,  and  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights. 
At  the  end  of  this  period  an  angel  appeared  to 
him,  and  told  him  that  his  wife  should  conceive 
and  bring  forth  a  daughter,  and  he  should  call 
her  name  Marj.  Anna  meantime  was  much  dis- 
tressed at  her  husband's  absence,  and  being  re- 
proached by  her  maid  Judith  with  her  barren- 
ness, she  was  overcome  with  grief  of  spirit.  In 
her  sadness  she  went  into  the  garden  to  walk, 
dressed  in  her  wedding  dress.  She  there  sat  down 
under  a  laurel-tree,  and  looked  up  and  spied 
among  the  branches  a  sparrow's  nest,  and  she 
bemoaned  herself  as  more  miserable  than  the 
very  birds,  for  they  were  fruitful  and  she  was 
barren;  and  she  praj^ed  that  she  might  have  a 
child,  even  as  Sarai  was  blessed  with  Isaac.  At 
*  There  is  no  such  passage  in  the  Old  Testament. 
44 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

this  moment  two  angels  appeared  to  her,  and 
promised  her  that  she  should  have  a  child  ^  who 
should  be  spoken  of  in  all  the  world.  Joachim 
returned  joyfully  to  his  home,  and  when  the 
time  was  accomplished  Anna  brought  forth  a 
daughter,  and  they  called  her  name  Mary.^ 

When  the  child  was  thi'ee  years  old,  the 
parents  brought  her  to  the  Temple,  to  dedicate 
her  to  the  Lord.^  There  were  fifteen  steps  up 
to  the  Temple,  and,  when  her  parents  were 
changing  their  dress,  she  walked  up  them  with- 
out help ;  and  the  high-priest  placed  her  upon 
the  third  step  of  the  altar,  and  she  danced  with 
her  feet,  and  all  the  house  of  Israel  loved  her. 
Then  Mary  remained  at  the  Temple  until  she 
was  fourteen  years  old,*^  ministered  to  by  the 
angels,^  and  advancing  in  perfection  as  in 
years.  At  this  time  the  liigh-priest  commanded 
aU  the  virgins  that  were  in  the  Temple  to  return 

*  The  festival  of  Mary's  conception  is  celebrated  on  the 
8th  of  December. 

'  The  nativity  of  Mary  is  commemorated  on  the  8th  of 
September. 

*  Mary's  presentation  in  the.  Temple  is  celebrated  on 
the  21  st  of  November., 

'  According  to  the   Protevang. :   twelve  years. 
"  Even  the  Koran,  Sura  III,  37,  knows  of  this  heavenly 
ministration. 

45 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

to  their  homes  and  to  be  married.  But  Mary 
refused,  for  she  said  that  she  had  vowed  vir- 
ginity to  the  Lord.  Thus  the  high-priest  was 
brought  into  a  perplexity,  and  he  had  recourse 
to  God  to  inquire  what  he  should  do.  Then  a 
voice  from  the  ark  answered  him ;  '^  and  they 
gathered  together  all  the  widowers  in  Israel,^ 
and  desired  them  to  bring  each  his  rod.  Among 
them  came  Joseph  and  brought  his  rod,  but  he 
shunned  to  present  it,  because  he  was  an  old 
man  and  had  children.®  Therefore  the  other 
rods  were  presented  and  no  sign  occurred. 
Then  it  was  found  that  Joseph  had  not  presented 
his  rod ;  and  behold,  as  soon  as  he  had  presented 
it,  a  dove  came  forth  from  the  rod  and  flew  upon 
the  head  of  Joseph.^^    So  Joseph,  in  spite  of  his 

^  According  to  the  Protevangel. :  an  angel  spake  unto 
him. 

*  According  to  the  Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary : 
all  the  marriageable  men  of  the  house  of  David. 

"According  to  the  Hist,  of  Joseph,  ch.  2,  Joseph  had 
four  sons :  Judas,  Justus,  James,  Simon,  and  two  daugh- 
ters: Assia  and  Lydia.  Three  of  the  sons  (excepting 
Justus)  are  also  mentioned  in  Mark  vi,  3,  but  none  of 
the  daughters.  According  to  Nicephorus  (Hist,  eccles. 
II,  3),  the  name  of  Joseph's  first  wife  was  Salome,  who 
was  related  to  the  family  of  John  the  Baptist. 

*°  According  to  the  Gospel  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary: 
a  dove  came  from  heaven  and  pitched  on  the  rod. 

46 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

reluctance,  was  compelled  to  betroth  liimself  to 
Mary,  and  he  returned  to  Bethlehem  to  make 
preparations  for  his  marriage,^  ^  while  Mary 
Went  back  to  her  parents'  house  in  Galilee.^ ^ 

"  According    to    the    Protevang. :  he    betook   himself 
to  his  occupation  of  building  houses. 
"  Her  espousals  the  church  commemorates  January  23. 


47 


SECTION  II 

The  Annunciation  to  Mary — Mauy  visits 
Elizabeth  — Joseph  returns  to  his  home 
— The  journey  to  Bethlehem  — Birth  of 
Jesus  in  the  cave  before  Bethlehem 

(Hist,  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  9-13;  Gospel  of  the 
Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  9,  10;  Protevang.,  chs.  11-20; 
Hist,  of  Joseph,  chs.  5-7;  Arabic  Gospel  of  the  In- 
fancy, chs.  2,  3.) 

Then  it  chanced  that  the  priests  needed  a 
new  veil  for  the  Temple,  and  seven  virgins  cast 
lots  to  make  different  parts  of  it;  and  the  lot 
to  spin  the  true  purple  fell  to  Mary.  As  she 
went  out  with  a  pitcher  to  draw  water,  she  heard 
a  voice  saying  to  her,  "  Hail,  thou  that  art 
highly  favored,  the  Lord  is  with  thee.  Blessed 
art  thou  among  women ! "  And  she  looked 
round  with  trembling  to  see  whence  the  voice 
came;  and  she  laid  down  the  pitcher  and  went 
into  the  house;  and  took  the  purple  and  sat 
down  to  work  at  it.  But  behold  the  angel 
48 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

Gabriel  stood  by  her  and  filled  the  chamber  ^ 
with  prodigious  light,  and  said,  "  Fear  not, 
Mary,  thou  a  virgin  shait  conceive  without 
sin,  and  shalt  bring  forth  a  son,  and  he  shall  be 
called  the  son  of  the  Most  High;  the  Lord  God 
will  give  him  the  throne  of  his  father  David, 
and  he  shall  reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  for 
ever,  and  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end." 
When  Mary  had  finished  the  purple,  she  took  it 
to  the  high-priest ;  and  having  received  his  bless- 
ing, went  to  visit  her  cousin  EKzabeth,  and  re- 
turned back  again.  Then  Joseph  returned  to 
his  home  from  building  houses  to  marry  the 
virgin  to  whom  he  was  betrothed,  and  finding 
her  with  child,  he  was  resolved  to  put  her  away 
privately;  but  being  warned  in  a  dream,  he  re- 
linquished his  purpose  and  took  her  to  his  house. 
Then  came  Annas  the  scribe  to  visit  Joseph, 
and  he  went  back  and  told  the  priest  that 
Joseph  had  committed  a  great  crime,  for  he  had 
privately  married  the  virgin  whom  he  had  re- 
ceived out  of  the  Temple,  and  had  not  made  it 
known  to  the  children  of  Israel.  So  the  priest 
sent  his  servants,  and  they  found  that  she  was 
with  child;  and  he  called  them  to  him,  and 
*  The  Annunciation  is  commemorated  March  25. 
49 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Joseph  denied  that  the  child  was  his,  and  the 
priest  made  Joseph  drink  the  bitter  v/ater  of 
trial,^  and  sent  him  to  a  mountainous  place  to 
see  what  would  follow.  But  Joseph  returned 
in  perfect  health,  so  the  priest  sent  them  away  to 
their  home. 

Then  after  three  months  Joseph  put  Mary 
on  an  ass  to  go  to  Bethlehem  to  be  taxed;  and 
as  they  were  going,  Mary  besought  liim  to  take 
her  down,  and  Joseph  took  her  down  and  carried 
her  into  a  cave,  and,  leaving  her  there  with  his 
sons,  he  went  to  seek  a  midwife.  As  he  went  he 
looked  up,  and  he  saw  the  clouds  astonished  and 
all  creatures  amazed.  The  fowls  stopped  in 
their  flight ;  the  working  people  sat  at  their  food, 
but  did  not  eat;  the  sheep  stood  still;  the  shep- 
herds' lifted  hands  became  fixed;  the  kids  were 
touching  the  water  with  their  mouths,  but  did 
not  drink.  A  midwife  came  down  from  the 
mountains,  and  Joseph  took  her  with  liim  to  the 
cave,  and  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  the  cloud, 
and  the  cloud  became  a  great  light,  and  when 
the  bright  light  faded  there  appeared  an  infant 
at  the  breast  of  Mary.  Then  the  midwife  went 
out  and  told  Salome  that  a  virgin  had  brought 
*  Comp.  Numb,  v,  i8. 
50 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

forth,  and  Salome  would  not  believe;  and  they 
came  back  again  into  the  cave,  and  Salome  re- 
ceived satisfaction,  but  her  hand  withered  away, 
nor  was  it  restored  until,  by  the  command  of  an 
angel,  she  touched  the  child,  whereupon  she  was 
straightway  cured.  Shepherds  also  came;  and 
when  they  had  Ughted  a  fire,  and  were  rejoicing 
greatly,  there  appeared  to  them  the  hosts  of 
heaven  praising  and  celebrating  God  Most 
High.  Moreover,  a  great  star,  larger  than  any 
that  had  been  seen  since  the  beginning  of  the 
world,  shone  over  the  cave  from  the  evening  till 
the  morning.  And  the  prophets  who  were  in 
Jerusalem  said  that  this  star  pointed  out  the 
birth  of  Christ,  who  should  restore  the  promise 
not  only  to  Israel,  but  to  all  nations. 


51 


SECTION  III 

Circumcision  of  Christ — Presentation  in 
THE  Temple — Visit  of  the  Magi — Mas- 
sacre OF  the  Innocents. 

(Hist,  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  14-17;  Arabic  Gos- 
pel of  the  Infancy,  chs.  5-8;   Protevang.,  chs.  21-24.) 

On  the  third  day  after  the  birth,  Mary  left 
the  cave,  and  entered  a  stable,  placed  the  child 
in  a  manger,  and  the  ox  and  ass  adored  him. 
Having  spent  three  days  in  that  place,  Joseph 
and  Mary  entered  Bethlehem  in  the  sixth  day, 
where  they  circumcised  the  child  on  the  eighth 
day,  and  called  his  name  Jesus.  On  the  fortieth 
day  after  the  nativity,  the  virgin  presented  her- 
self with  her  babe  for  their  purification  ^  in  the 
Temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  offered  the  sacrifice 
according  to  the  command  of  Moses.  There 
was  in  the  Temple  a  just  and  devout  Israelite, 
called  Simeon,  113  years  old.  He  had  received 
divine  intimation   that  his  death  would  not  take 

^  The  purification  of  Mary  is  commemorated  Febru- 
ary 2. 

52 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

place  till  he  had  seen  the  Messiah.  And,  having 
seen  the  child,  he  made  haste  and  adored  Him. 
And  after  this  he  took  Him  up  into  liis  cloak, 
kissed  His  feet,  and  said  :*  Lord,  now  lettest  Thou 
Thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  according  to  Thy 
word;  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  Thy  salvation, 
which  Thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all 
peoples,  to  be  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles, 
and  the  glory  of  Thy  people  Israel.^  With 
Simeon  there  was  also  in  the  Temple  the 
prophetess  Anna,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of 
the  tribe  of  Asher,  aged  84  years.  She  likewise 
adored  the  child  and  said :  in  Him  is  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  world. 

After  two  days  were  past.  Magi '  came  from 
the  east  to  Jerusalem  as  Zoroaster  had  predicted, 

*  According  to  Nicephorus  (I,  12)  Simeon  once  read 
the  Scriptures  and  stumbled  at  the  verse,  "  Behold,  a 
virgin  shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son."  (Isa.  vii.  14.)  He 
then  received  the  intimation  that  he  should  not  die  till 
he  had  seen  it  fulfilled. 

*  From  the  triple  gifts,  the  number  of  the  Magi  is 
generally  given  as  three.  The  Venerable  Bede  (Works, 
III,  649)  even  gives  us  their  names,  their  country,  and 
their  personal  appearance.  Melchior  was  an  old  man 
with  white  hair  and  long  beard ;  Caspar,  a  ruddy  and 
beardless  youth;  Balthasar,  swarthy  and  in  the  prime 
of  life.    The  skulls  of  these  three  kings,  each  circled 

53 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

bringing  large  gifts.  And  they  made  strict  in- 
quiry of  the  Jews,  saying:  where  is  the  King 
who  has  been  born  to  us?  for  we  have  seen  His 
star  in  the  east,  and  have  come  to  worship  Him. 
When  Herod  heard  tliis,  he  was  alarmed  and  in- 
quired where  Christ  should  be  born  according  to 
the  prophets.  And  he  was  told:  at  Bethlehem. 
Herod  then  called  the  Magi  and  inquired  what 
sign  they  did  see  of  the  King  that  is  born.  And 
they  said :  we  have  seen  a  very  great  star  shining 
among  the  stars  and  dazzling  them,  so  that  the 
stars  were  not  seen.  And  thus  we  know  that  a 
King  was  born  to  Israel  and  came  to  worship 
Him.  Then  sending  them  to  Bethlehem,  Herod 
said:  go  and  ask  diligently  about  the  child,  and 
when  you  have  found  Him,  report  it  to  me,  that 
I  too  may  come  and  worship  Him.  And  the  Magi 
departed.  And  behold,  the  star  which  they  saw 
in  the  east  was  going  before  them,  until  they 
came  where  the  child  was.  And  entering  into  the 
house  they  found  the  infant  Jesus  sitting  in  the 
lap  of  Mary,  and  adored  Him.    And  they  opened 

with  its  crown  of  jeweled  gold,  are  still  exhibited  among 
the  relics  in  the  cathedral  at  Cologne.  They  were  said 
to  have  been  found  by  Bishop  Reginald  of  Cologne  in 
the  twelfth  century, 

54 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

their  treasures  and  bestowed  large  presents  upon 
Mary  and  Joseph ;  but  to  the  infant  each  offered 
a  present;  one  offered  gold,  another  frankin- 
cense, the  tliird  myrrh.  Then  Mary  took  one  of 
His  swaddling-bands  and  gave  it  to  them  for  a 
little  reward,  and  they  received  it  from  her  as 
the  most  praiseworthy  present.  When  they  were 
about  to  return  to  King  Herod,  they  were 
warned  by  an  angel  in  a  dream  not  to  return  to 
Herod,  and  they  went  to  their  country  by  an- 
other way.  And  the  same  hour  there  appeared 
unto  them  an  angel  in  the  form  of  the  star  which 
had  been  the  guide  of  their  way  before ;  and  fol- 
lowing the  leading  of  its  light  they  departed, 
until  they  reached  their  own  country. 

And  their  kings  and  chief  men  came  together 
to  them,  asking  what  they  had  seen  or  done,  how 
they  had  gone  and  come  back,  what  they  had 
brought  with  them.  And  they  showed  them 
that  swathing-cloth  which  Mary  had  given  them. 
Wherefore  they  celebrated  a  feast,  and  accord- 
ing to  their  custom,  lighted  a  fire  and  worship- 
ped it,  and  threw  that  swathing-cloth  into  it, 
and  the  fire  laid  hold  of  it,  and  enveloped  it. 
But  when  the  fire  had  gone  out,  they  took  out , 
the  swathing-cloth  exactly  as  it  had  been  before, 

55 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

just  as  if  the  fire  had  not  touched  it.  Where- 
fore they  began  to  kiss  it,  and  to  put  it  on  their 
heads  and  their  eyes,  saying:  This  verily  is  the 
truth  without  doubt.  Assuredly  it  is  a  great 
thing  that  the  fire  was  not  able  to  burn  or  destroy 
it.  Then  they  took  it,  and  with  great  honor 
laid  it  up  among  their  treasures. 

When  Herod  saw  that  he  had  been  de- 
ceived by  the  Magi,  he  sent  through  all  the 
roads,  wishing  to  seize  them  and  put  them  to 
death.  But  when  he  could  not  find  them  at  all, 
he  sent  to  Bethlehem  and  all  its  borders,  and 
slew  all  the  male  children  whom  he  found  of  two 
years  old  and  under,  according  to  the  time  that 
he  had  ascertained  from  the  Magi.  And  Eliza- 
beth having  heard  that  they  were  searching  for 
John,  took  him  and  went  up  into  the  hill-coun- 
try, and  kept  looking  where  to  conceal  him.  At 
her  prayer  the  mountain  was  cleft,  and  it  received 
her  with  the  child.  And  a  light  shone  about 
them,  for  an  angel  of  the  Lord  was  with  them, 
watching  over  them.  And  Herod  searched  for 
John,  and  sent  officers  to  Zacharias,  saying: 
Where  hast  thou  hid  thy  son.''  Zacharias  replied: 
I  know  not.  Herod,  enraged  at  the  reply,  had 
Zacharias  murdered  about  daybreak.  And  the 
sons  of  Israel  did  not  know  that  he  had  been 

56 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

sons  of  Israel  did  not  know  that  he  had  been 
murdered.  But  when  the  priests  waited  for 
Zacharias  to  salute  him  at  the  prayer,  and  he 
still  delayed,  one  ventured  to  go  in,  and  he  saw 
clotted  blood  beside  the  altar  and  heard  a  voice 
saying:  Zacharias  has  been  murdered,  and  his 
blood  shall  not  be  wip^d  up  until  his  avenger 
come.  Hearing  this  he  went  out  to  the  priests 
who  reported  to  the  people  that  Zacharias  had 
been  murdered.  And  all  the  tribes  of  the  people 
heard,  and  mourned,  and  lamented  for  him  three 
days  and  three  nights.  And  after  the  three 
days,  the  priests  consulted  as  to  whom  they 
should  put  in  his  place;  and  the  lot  fell  upon 
Simeon.  For  it  was  he  who  had  been  warned  by 
the  Holy  Ghost  that  he  should  not  see  death  un- 
til he  should  see  the  Clirist  in  the  flesh. 


57 


SECTION  IV 

The  flight  into  Egypt — Miracles  per- 
formed BY  Jesus  on  the  way  to  Egypt  and 
IN  Egypt 

1.  The  wild  beasts  worship  Jesus 

(Hist,  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  27-29;  Arabic  Gos- 
pel of  the  Infancy,  ch.  9;    Hist,  of  Joseph,  ch.  8.) 

The  day  before  Herod  issued  his  order  to  kill 
the  children  at  Bethlehem,  Joseph  was  admon- 
ished by  an  angel  in  a  dream  who  said  to  him: 
Arise,  take  Mary  and  the  child,  and  go  into 
Egypt  by  the  way  of  the  desert.  Therefore  he 
arose  at  cock-crowing  and  departed. 

Having  come  to  a  certain  cave,  and  wishing 
to  rest  in  it,  Mary  dismounted  from  her  beast, 
and  sat  down  with  the  child  Jesus  in  her  bosom. 
And  there  were  with  Joseph  three  boys,  and  with 
Mary  a  girl,  going  on  the  journey  along  with 
them.  And,  lo,  suddenly  there  came  forth  from 
the  cave  many  dragons ;  and  when  the  boys  saw 
them,  they  cried  out  in  great  terror.  Then  Jesus 
58 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

went  down  from  the  bosom  of  His  mother,  and 
stood  on  His  feet  before  the  dragons ;  and  they 
adored  Jesus,  and  thereafter  retired.  Then  was 
fulfilled  that  which  was  said  by  the  prophet: 
"  Praise  the  Lord  from  the  earth,  ye  dragons."  ^ 
And  the  young  child  Jesus,  walking  before  them, 
commanded  them  to  hurt  no  man.  But  Mary 
and  Joseph  were  A^ery  much  afraid  lest  the  child 
should  be  hurt  by  the  dragons.  And  Jesus  said 
to  them ;  Do  not  consider  m.e  to  be  a  little  child ; 
for  I  am  a  perfect  man,  and  all  the  beasts  of  the 
forest  must  needs  be  tame  before  me. 

Lions  and  panthers  adored  Him  likewise,  and 
accompanied  them  in  the  desert.  Wherever 
Mary  and  Joseph  went,  they  went  before  them 
showing  them  the  way,  and  bowing  their  heads; 
and  showing  their  submission  by  wagging  their 
tails,  they  adored  Him  with  great  reverence. 
Now  at  first,  when  INIary  saw  the  lions  and  the 
various  kinds  of  wild  beasts,  she  was  very  much 
afraid.  But  the  infant  Jesus  looked  into  her 
face  with  a  joyful  countenance,  and  said:  Be 
not  afraid  mother ;  for  they  come  not  to  do  thee 
harm,  but  they  make  haste  to  serve  both  thee 
and  me.  Thus  He  drove  all  fear  from  her 
*    Ps.  cxlviii,  7. 

59 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

heart.  And  the  lions  kept  walking  with  them, 
and  with  the  oxen,  and  the  asses,  and  the  beasts 
of  burden  which  carried  their  baggage,  and  did 
not  hurt  a  single  one  of  them,  though  they  kept 
beside  them;  but  they  were  tame  among  the 
sheep  and  the  rams  which  they  had  brought 
with  them  from  Judea,  and  which  they  had  with 
them.  They  walked  among  wolves,  and  feared 
nothing;  and  no  one  of  them  was  hurt  by  an- 
other. Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken 
by  the  prophet :  wolves  shall  feed  with  lambs ; 
the  lion  and  the  ox  shall  eat  straw  together.^ 
There  were  together  two  oxen  drawing  a  wagon 
with  provision  for  the  journey. 

2.  Jesus  commands  the  trees  and  the  spring 

(Hist,  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  20,  21.) 

On  the  third  day  of  the  journey,  Mary  was 
fatigued  by  the  excessive  heat  of  the  sun  in  the 
desert.  And  seeing  a  tree,  she  said  to  Joseph: 
Let  us  rest  a  little  under  the  shade  of  this  tree. 
Joseph  therefore  made  haste,  and  led  her  to  the 
palm,  and  made  her  come  down  from  her  beast. 
And  as  Mary  was  sitting  there,  she  looked  up  to 
*Isa.  Ixv,  25. 
60 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

the  foliage  of  the  palm,  and  saw  it  full  of  fruit, 
and  said  to  Joseph :  I  wish  it  were  possible  to  get 
some  of  the  fruit  of  this  palm.  And  Joseph  said 
to  her:  I  wonder  that  thou  sayest  tliis,  when 
thou  seest  how  high  the  palm  tree  is.  I  am 
thinking  more  of  the  want  of  water,  because  the 
skins  are  now  empty,  and  we  have  none  where- 
with to  refresh  ourselves  and  our  cattle.  Then 
the  child  Jesus,  reposing  with  a  joyful  counte- 
nance, in  the  bosom  of  His  mother,  said  to  the 
palm:  O  tree,  bend  thy  branches,  and  refresh 
my  mother  with  thy  fruit.  And  immediately 
at  these  words  the  palm  bent  its  top  down  to  the 
very  feet  of  the  blessed  Mary ;  and  they  gathered 
from  it  fruit,  with  which  they  were  all  refreshed. 
And  after  they  had  gathered  all  its  fruit,  it  re- 
mained bent  down,  waiting  the  order  to  rise  from 
Him  who  had  commanded  it  to  stoop.  Then 
Jesus  said  to  it :  Raise  thyself,  O  palm  tree,  and 
be  strong,  and  be  the  companion  of  my  trees, 
wliich  are  in  the  paradise  of  my  Father;  and 
open  from  thy  roots  a  vein  of  water  which  has 
been  hid  in  the  earth,  and  let  the  waters  flow,  so 
that  we  may  be  satisfied  from  thee.  And  it  rose 
up  immediately,  and  at  its  root  there  began  to 
come  forth  a  spring  of  water  exceedingly  clear 
6i 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

and  cool  and  sparkling.  And  when  they  saw 
the  spring  of  water,  they  rejoiced  with  great 
joy,  and  were  satisfied,  themselves  and  all  their 
cattle  and  their  beasts.  Wherefore  they  gave 
thanks  to  God. 

And,  on  the  day  after,  when  they  were  setting 
out  thence,  and  in  the  hour  in  which  they  began 
their  journey,  Jesus  turned  to  the  palm,  and 
said:  Tliis  privilege  I  give  thee,  O  palm  tree, 
that  one  of  thy  branches  be  carried  away  by  my 
angels,  and  planted  in  the  paradise  of  my 
Father.  And  this  blessing  I  will  confer  upon 
thee,  that  it  shall  be  said  of  all  who  conquer  in 
any  contest;  You  have  attained  the  palm  of 
victory.  And  while  He  was  thus  speaking,  be- 
hold, an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared,  and  stood 
upon  the  palm  tree;  and  taking  off  one  of  its 
branches,  flew  to  heaven  with  the  branch  in  his 
•  hand.  And  when  they  saw  this  they  fell  on 
their  faces  and  became  as  it  were  dead.  And 
Jesus  said  to  them:  Why  are  your  hearts  pos- 
sessed with  fear.''  Do  you  not  know  that  this 
palm,  which  I  have  caused  to  be  transferred  to 
paradise,  shall  be  prepared  for  all  the  saints  in 
the  place  of  delights,  as  it  has  been  prepared 
for  us  in  this  place  of  the  wilderness.? 
62 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

3.  Jesus  shortens  the  way  to  Egypt — The  idols 
fall  down 

(Hist,  of  the  Nativity  of  Mary,  chs.  22-24;  Arabic  Gos- 
pel of  the  Infancy,  ch.  10.) 

As  they  were  going  on  their  journey,  Joseph 
said  to  Jesus :  Lord,  it  is  a  boihng  heat ;  if  it 
please  Thee,  let  us  go  by  the  sea-shore,  that 
we  may  be  able  to  rest  in  the  cities  on  the  coast. 
But  Jesus  said  to  him:  Fear  not  Joseph,  I  will 
shorten  the  way  for  you,  so  that  what  you  would  - 
have  taken  thirty  days  to  go  over,  you  shall  ac- 
complish in  this  one  day.  And  while  He  was 
thus  speaking,  behold,  they  began  to  see  the 
mountains  and  cities  of  Egypt.  And  rejoicing 
and  exulting,  they  came  into  a  city,  called  So- 
tinen,  in  which  there  was  an  idol,  to  which  the 
other  idols  and  gods  of  the  Egyptians  offered 
gifts  and  vows.  And  there  stood  before  this  idol 
a  priest  ministering  to  him,  who,  as  often  as 
Satan  spoke  from  that  idol,  reported  it  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Egypt  and  its  territories.  This 
priest  had  a  son,  three  years  old,  beset  by  several 
demons;  and  he  made  many  speeches  and  ut- 
terances ;  and  when  the  demons  seized  him,  he 
tore  his  clothes,  and  remained  naked,  and  threT7 

63 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

stones  at  the  people.  And  there  was  a  hospital 
in  that  city  dedicated  to  that  idol.  And  when 
Joseph  and  Mary  had  come  to  the  city,  and  had 
turned  aside  into  that  hospital,  the  citizens  were 
very  much  afraid ;  and  all  the  chief  men  and  the 
priests  of  the  idols  came  together  to  that  idol, 
and  said  to  it:  What  agitation  and  commotion 
is  this  that  has  arisen  in  our  land.'*  The  idol 
answered  them:  A  God  has  come  here  in  secret, 
who  is  God  indeed;  nor  is  any  god  besides  Him 
worthy  of  divine  worship,  because  He  is  truly  the 
Son  of  God.  And  when  this  land  became  aware 
of  His  presence,  it  trembled  at  His  arrival,  and 
was  moved  and  shaken;  and  we  are  exceedingly 
afraid  from  the  greatness  of  His  power. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Mary  went  into  the 
temple  with  the  little  child,  that  all  the  idols 
•  prostrated  themselves  on  the  ground,  so  that  aU 
of  them  were  lying  on  their  faces  shattered  and 
broken  to  pieces ;  and  thus  they  plainly  showed 
that  they  were  notliing.    Then  was  fulfilled  that 
which  was  said  by  the  prophet  Isaiah:  Behold, 
the  Lord  will  come  upon  a  swift  cloud,  and  will 
enter  Egypt,  and  all    the    handiwork    of    the 
Egyptians  shall  be  moved  at  His  presence.* 
*  Isa.  xix,  I. 
64 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

Then  AfFrodosius,  that  governor  of  the  city, 
when  news  of  this  was  brought  to  him,  went  to 
Ihe  temple  with  all  his  army.  And  the  priests 
of  the  temple,  when  they  saw  Affrodosius  with 
all  his  army  coming  into  the  temple,  thought 
that  he  was  making  haste  only  to  see  vengeance 
taken  on  those  on  whose  account  the  gods  had 
fallen  down.  But  when  he  came  into  the  temple, 
and  saw  all  the  gods  lying  prostrate  on  their 
faces,  he  went  up  to  Mary,  who  was  carrying  the 
Lord  in  her  bosom,  and  adored  Him,  and  said  to 
all  his  army  and  all  his  friends :  Unless  this  were 
the  God  of  our  gods,  our  gods  would  not  have 
fallen  on  their  faces  before  Him ;  nor  would  they 
be  lying  prostrate  in  His  presence:  wherefore 
they  silently  confess  that  He  is  their  Lord.  Un- 
less, therefore,  we  take  care  to  do  what  we  have 
seen  our  gods  doing,  we  may  run  the  risk  of  His 
anger,  and  all  come  to  destruction,  even  as  it 
happened  to  Pharaoh  king  of  the  Egyptians, 
who,  not  believing  in  powers  so  mighty,  was 
drowned  in  the  sea,  with  all  his  army.* 

*  According  to  tradition  Affrodosius  and  all  inhabitants 
of  that  city  became  Christians,  and  Petriis  de  Natal. 
iii,  28,  even  makes  Affrodosius  Bishop  of  Bourges  in 
France. 

65 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

4.  Jesus  heals  the  demoniac  son  of  the  'priest — 
Idols  fall  and  are  broken — Robbers  rit/n  away 

^(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  11-13-) 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  son  of  the  priest, 
his  usual  disease  having  come  upon  him,  entered 
the  hospital  and  found  Joseph  and  Mary,  from 
whom  all  others  had  fled.  Mary  having  washed 
the  clothes  of  the  Lord  Christ,  had  spread  them 
over  some  wood.  That  demoniac  boy,  therefore, 
came  and  took  one  of  the  cloths,  and  put  it  on  his 
head.  Then  the  demons,  fleeing  in  the  shape  of 
ravens  and  serpents,  began  to  go  forth  out  of 
his  mouth.  The  boy,  being  immediately  healed 
at  the  command  of  the  Lord  Christ,  began  to 
praise  God,  and  then  to  give  thanks  to  the  Lord 
who  had  healed  him.  And  when  his  father  saw 
him  restored  to  health,  My  son,  said  he,  what  has 
happened  to  thee?  and  by  what  means  hast  thou 
been  healed?  The  son  answered:  When  the 
demons  had  thrown  me  on  the  ground,  I  went  into 
the  hospital,  and  there  I  found  an  august 
woman  with  a  boy,  whose  newly  washed  clothes 
she  had  thrown  upon  some  wood:  one  of  these 
I  took  up  and  put  upon  my  head,  and  the  demons 
66 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

left  me  and  fled.  At  this  the  father  rejoiced 
greatly,  and  said :  My  son,  it  is  possible  that  this 
boy  is  the  Son  of  the  living  God  who  created  the 
heavens  and  the  earth :  for  when  he  came  over  to 
us,  the  idol  was  broken,  and  all  the  gods  fell,  and 
perished  by  the  power  of  his  magnificence. 

And  when  Joseph  and  Mary  heard  that  that 
idol  had  fallen  down  and  perished,  trembled,  and 
were  afraid.  Then  they  said:  When  we  were 
in  the  land  of  Israel,  Herod  thought  to  put  Jesus 
to  death,  and  on  that  account  slew  all  the  chil- 
dren of  Bethlehem  and  its  confines ;  and  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  Egyptians,  as  soon  as  they 
have  heard  that  this  idol  has  been  broken,  will 
burn  us  with  fire. 

Going  out  thence,  they  came  to  a  place  where 
there  were  robbers  who  had  plundered  several 
men  of  their  baggage  and  clothes,  and  had 
bound  them.  Then  the  robbers  heard  a  great 
noise,  like  the  noise  of  a  magnificent  king  going 
out  of  his  city  with  his  army,  and  his  chariots 
and  his  drums ;  and  at  this  the  robbers  were  ter- 
rified, and  left  all  their  plunder.  And  their 
captives  rose  up,  loosed  each  other's  bonds,  re- 
covered their  baggage,  and  went  away.  And 
when  they  saw  Joseph  and  Mary  coming  up  to 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

the  place,  they  said  to  them:  Where  is  that 
king,  at  the  hearing  of  the  magnificent  sound 
of  whose  approach  the  robbers  have  left  us,  so 
that  we  have  escaped  safe?  Joseph  answered 
them :  He  will  come  behind  us. 

6.  Healing  of  a  demoniac  woman  and  of  a  dumb 
bride 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  14,  15.) 

And  they  came  into  a  city  where  there  was  a 
demoniac  woman  whom  Satan,  accursed  and 
rebellious,  had  beset,  when  on  one  occasion  she 
had  gone  out  by  night  for  water.  She  could 
neither  bear  clothes,  nor  live  in  a  house;  and 
as  often  as  they  tied  her  up  with  chains  or 
thongs,  she  broke  them,  and  fled  naked  into 
waste  places;  and,  standing  in  cross-roads  and 
cemeteries  she  kept  throwing  stones  at  peo- 
ple, and  brought  very  heavy  calamities  upon 
her  friends.  And  when  Mary  saw  her,  she  pitied 
her;  and  upon  this  Satan  immediately  left  her, 
and  fled  away  in  the  form  of  a  young  man,  say- 
ing :  Woe  to  me  from  thee,  Mary,  and  from  thy 
son !  So  that  woman  was  cured  of  her  torment, 
and  being  restored  to  her  senses,  she  blushed  on 
68 


BIRTH  AND  CHIT.DHOOD 

account  of  her  nakedness  ;  and  sliunning  the  sight 
of  men,  went  home  to  her  friends.  And  after 
she  put  on  her  clothes,  she  gave  an  account  of 
the  matter  to  her  father  and  her  friends ;  and  as 
they  were  the  chief  men  of  the  city,  they  re- 
ceived Mary  and  Joseph  with  great  honor  and 
hospitality. 

Being  supplied  by  them  with  provision  for 
their  journey,  they  v^-ent  away  on  the  following 
day,  and  on  the  evening  of  that  day  they  came 
to  another  city,  where  a  marriage  was  celebrated. 
But,  by  the  arts  of  accursed  Satan  and  the  work 
of  enchanters,  the  bride  had  become  dumb,  and 
could  not  speak  a  word.  And  after  Mary  en- 
tered the  town,  carrying  Christ  in  her  arms,  the 
dumb  bride  saw  her,  and  stretched  out  her  hands 
toward  the  Lord  Christ,  and  drew  Him  to  her, 
and  took  Him  into  her  arms,  and  held  Him  close 
and  kissed  Him,  and  leaned  over  Him,  moving 
His  body  back  and  forwards.  Immediately  the 
knot  of  her  tongue  was  loosened,  and  her  ears 
were  opened;  and  she  gave  thanks  and  praise 
to  God,  because  He  had  restored  her  to  health. 
And  that  night  the  inhabitants  of  that  town 
exulted  with  joy,  and  thought  that  God  and  His 
angels  had  come  down  to  them. 
69 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

6.    Healing  of    the    demoniac  woman  and    the 
leprous  girl 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  i6,  17.) 

There  they  remained  three  days,  being  held 
in  great  honor,  and  living  splendidly.  There- 
after, being  supplied  by  them  with  provision  for 
their  journey,  they  went  to  another  city,  in 
which,  because  it  was  populous,  they  thought  of 
passing  the  night.  And  there  was  in  that  city 
an  excellent  woman;  and  once,  when  she  had 
gone  to  the  river  to  bathe,  lo,  accursed  Satan, 
in  the  form  of  a  serpent,  had  leapt  upon  her, 
and  twisted  himself  round  her  belly;  and  as 
often  as  night  came  on,  he  tyrannically  tor- 
mented her.  This  woman,  seeing  the  mistress 
the  Lady  Mary,  and  the  cliild,  the  Lord  Christ, 
in  her  bosom,  was  struck  with  a  longing  for 
Him,  and  said  to  the  mistress  the  Lady  Mary: 
O  mistress,  give  me  this  child,  that  I  may  carry 
Him,  and  kiss  Him.  She  therefore  gave  Him 
to  the  woman;  and  when  He  was  brought  to 
her,  Satan  let  her  go,  and  fled  and  left  her,  nor 
did  the  woman  ever  see  him  after  that  day. 
Wherefore  all  who  were  present  praised  God 
70 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

Most  High,  and  that  woman  bestowed  on  them 
liberal  gifts. 

On  the  day  after,  the  same  woman  took 
scented  water  to  wash  the  Lord  Jesus ;  and  after 
she  had  washed  Him,  she  took  the  water  with 
which  she  had  done  it,  and  poured  part  of  it 
upon  a  girl  who  was  living  there,  whose  body 
was  white  with  leprosy,  and  washed  her  with 
it.  And  as  soon  as  this  was  done,  the  girl  was 
cleansed  from  her  leprosy.'^  And  the  towns- 
people said:  There  is  no  doubt  that  Joseph  and 
Mary  and  that  Boy  are  gods,  not  men.  And 
when  they  were  getting  ready  to  go  into  an- 
other city,  the  girl  who  had  labored  under  the 
leprosy  came  up  to  them,  and  asked  them  to  let 
her  go  with  them. 

"  The  disease  mentioned  here  is  the  white  leprosy,  as 
described  in  Levit.  xiii,  and  the  healing-power  is  ascribed 
to  the  water  with  which  Jesus  was  washed.  This  water 
plays  a  great  part  in  the  apocryphal  miracle-narratives, 
comp.  the  Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  i8,  27,  28, 
3i>  32,  33-  Why  the  water  with  which  Jesus  was  washed 
played  that  part,  we  get  an  interesting  hint  in  the  next 
narrative,  where  it  is  said  of  Jesus :  "  thus  Thou  cleans- 
est  those  who  share  the  same  nature  with  Thee  with  the 
water  in  which  Thy  body  has  been  washed."  It  is  a 
symbolic  reference  to  baptism. 

71 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

7.  The  unfortunate  'princess  and  the  healing  of 
the  leprous  prince 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  ch.  i8.) 

When  they  had  given  her  permission,  she 
went  with  them.  And  afterwards  they  came  to 
a  city,  in  which  was  the  castle  of  a  most  illus- 
trious prince,  who  kept  a  house  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  strangers.  They  turned  into  this 
place;  and  the  girl  went  away  to  the  prince's 
wife ;  and  she  found  her  weeping  and  sorrowful, 
and  she  asked  why  she  was  weeping.  Do  not 
be  surprised,  said  she,  at  my  tears ;  for  I  am 
overwhelmed  by  a  great  affliction,  which  as  yet 
I  have  not  endured  to  tell  to  any  one.  Perhaps, 
said  the  girl,  if  you  reveal  it  and  disclose  it  to 
me,  I  may  have  a  remedy  for  it.  Hide  this 
secret,  then,  replied  the  princess,  and  tell  it  to 
no  one.  I  was  married  to  this  prince,  who  is  a 
king  and  ruler  over  many  cities,  and  I  Hved  long 
with  him,  but  by  me  he  had  no  son.  And  when 
at  length  I  produced  him  a  son,  he  was  leprous ; 
and  as  soon  as  he  saw  him,  he  turned  away  with 
loathing,  and  said  to  me:  Either  kill  him,  or 
give  him  to  the  nurse  to  be  brought  up  in  some 

72 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

place  from  which  we  shall  never  hear  of  hira 
more.  After  this  I  can  have  nothing  to  do  with 
thee,  and  I  will  never  see  thee  more.  On  this 
account  I  know  not  what  to  do,  and  I  am  over- 
whelmed with  grief.  Alas !  my  son.  Alas  !  my 
husband.  Did  I  not  say  so.^*  said  the  girl.  I 
have  found  a  cure  for  thy  disease,  and  I  shall 
tell  it  thee.  For  I  too  was  a  leper;  but  I  was 
cleansed  by  God,^  who  is  Jesus,  the  son  of  the 
Lady  Mary.  And  the  woman  asking  her  where 
this  God  was  whom  she  had  spoken  of.  Here, 
with  thee,  said  the  girl ;  He  is  living  in  the  same 
house.  But  how  is  this  possible?  said  she. 
Where  is  he.'*  There,  said  the  girl,  are  Joseph 
and  Mary;  and  the  child  who  is  with  them  is 
called  Jesus;  and  He  it  is  who  cured  me  of  my 
disease  and  my  torment.  But  by  what  means, 
said  she,  wast  thou  cured  of  thy  leprosy.?  Wilt 
thou  not  tell  me  that?  Why  not?  said  the  girl. 
I  got  from  His  mother  the  water  in  wliich  He  * 
had  been  washed,  and  poured  it  over  myself; 
and  so  I  was  cleansed  from  my  leprosy.  Then 
the  princess  rose  up,  and  invited  them  to  avail 
themselves  of  her  hospitality.  And  she  prepared 
a  splendid  banquet  for  Joseph  in  a  great  assem- 
•  The  girl  here  calls  Jesus  "  God." 

73 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

bly  of  the  men  of  the  place.  And  on  the  follow- 
ing day  she  took  scented  water  with  which  to 
wash  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  thereafter  poured  the 
same  water  over  her  son,  whom  she  had  taken 
with  her;  and  immediately  her  son  was  cleansed 
from  the  leprosy.  Therefore,  singing  thanks 
and  praises  to  God,  she  said :  Blessed  is  the 
mother  who  bore  Thee,  O  Jesus ;  dost  Thou  so 
cleanse  those  who  share  the  same  nature  with 
Thee  with  the  water  in  which  Thy  body  has  been 
washed?  Besides,  she  bestowed  great  gifts  upon 
Mary,  and  sent  her  away  with  great  honor. 

8.  Jesus  heals  a  newly  married  man — The 
brother  being  changed  into  a  mule,  passes 
again  into  his  human  form 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  19-22.) 

Having  come  to  another  city,  they  meant  to 
spend  the  night  in  it.  They  turned  aside,  there- 
fore, to  the  house  of  a  man  newly  married,  but 
who,  under  the  influence  of  witchcraft  was  not 
able  to  enjoy  his  wife;  and  when  they  had  spent 
that  night  with  him,  liis  bond  was  loosed.  And 
at  daybreak,  when  they  were  girding  themselves 
for  their  journey,  the  bridegroom  would  not 

74 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

let  them  go,  and  prepared  for  them    a    great 
banquet. 

They  set  out,  therefore,  on  the  following  day ; 
and  as  they  came  near  another  city,  they  saw 
three  women  weeping  as  they  came  out  of  a 
cemetery.  And  when  Mary  beheld  them,  she 
said  to  the  girl  who  accompanied  her:  Ask  them 
what  is  the  matter  with  them,  or  what  calamity 
has  befallen  them.  And  to  the  girl's  questions 
they  made  no  reply,  but  asked  in  their  turn: 
Whence  are  you,  and  whither  are  you  going.'' 
for  the  day  is  already  past,  and  night  is  coming 
on  apace.  We  are  travelers,  said  the  girl,  and 
are  seeking  a  house  of  entertainment  in  which 
We  may  pass  the  night.  They  said:  Go  with  us, 
and  spend  the  night  with  us.  They  followed 
them,  therefore,  and  were  brought  into  a  new 
house  with  splendid  decorations  and  furniture. 
Now  it  was  winter;  and  the  girl,  going  into  the 
chamber  of  these  women,  found  them  again 
weeping  and  lamenting.  There  stood  beside 
them  a  mule,  covered  with  housings  of  cloth  of 
gold,  and  sesame  was  put  before  him ;  and  the 
women  were  kissing  him,  and  giving  him  food. 
And  the  girl  said:  What  is  all  the  ado,  my 
ladies,  about  tliis   mule.''     They  answered  her 

75 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

with  tears,  and  said:  This  mule,  which  thou 
seest,  was  our  brother,  born  of  the  same  mother 
with  ourselves.  And  when  our  father  died,  and 
left  us  great  wealth,  and  this  only  brother,  we 
did  our  best  to  get  him  married,  and  were  pre- 
paring his  nuptials  for  him,  after  the  manner  of 
men.  But  some  women,  moved  by  mutual  jeal- 
ousy, bewitched  him  unknown  to  us;  and  one 
night,  a  little  before  daybreak,  when  the  door 
of  our  house  was  shut,  we  saw  that  this  our 
brother  had  been  turned  into  a  mule,  as  thou 
now  beholdest  him.  And  we  are  sorrowful,  as 
thou  seest,  having  no  father  to  comfort  us: 
there  is  no  wise  man,  or  magician,  or  enchanter 
in  the  world  that  we  have  omitted  to  send  for; 
but  nothing  has  done  us  any  good.  And  as 
often  as  our  hearts  are  overwhelmed  with  grief, 
we  rise  and  go  away  with  our  mother  here,  and 
weep  at  the  father's  grave,  and  come  back  again. 
And  when  the  girl  heard  these  things,  she  said : 
Be  of  good  courage  and  weep  not;  for  the  cure 
of  your  calam.ity  is  near;  yea,  it  is  beside  you, 
and  in  the  middle  of  your  own  house.  For  I 
also  was  a  leper;  but  when  I  saw  that  woman, 
and  along  with  her  that  j^oung  child,  whose 
name  is  Jesus,  I  sprinkled  my  body  with  the 
76 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

water  with  which  His  mother  had  washed  Hiin, 
and  I  was  cured.  And  I  know  that  He  can 
cure  your  affliction  also.  But  rise,  go  to  Mary 
my  mistress ;  bring  her  into  your  house,  and  tell 
her  your  secret ;  and  entreat  and  supplicate  her 
to  have  pity  upon  you.  After  the  women  had 
heard  the  girl's  words,  they  went  in  haste  to  the 
Lady  Mary,  and  brought  her  into  their  chamber, 
and  sat  down  before  her  weeping,  and  saying :  O 
our  mistress,  Mary,  have  pity  on  thy  hand- 
maidens ;  for  no  one  older  than  ourselves,  and 
no  head  of  the  family,  is  left — neither  father 
nor  brother — to  live  with  us ;  but  this  mule 
which  thou  seest  was  our  brother,  and  women 
have  made  him  such  as  thou  seest  by  witchcraft. 
We  beseech  thee,  therefore,  to  have  pity  upon 
us.  Then,  grieving  at  their  lot,  Mary  took  up 
the  Lord  Jesus,  and  put  Him  on  the  mule's  back ; 
and  she  wept  as  well  as  the  women,  and  said  to 
Jesus  Christ:  Alas!  my  son,  heal  this  mule  by 
Thy  mighty  power,  and  make  him  a  man  en-  * 
dowed  with  reason  as  he  was  before.  And 
when  these  words  were  uttered  by  Mary,  his  form 
was  changed,  and  the  mule  became  a  young 
man,  free  from  every  defect.  Then  he  and  his 
mother  and  his  sisters  adored  Mary,  and  lifted 

17 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

the  boy  above  their  heads,  and  began  to  kiss 
Him,  saying:  Blessed  is  she  that  bore  Thee,  O 
Jesus,  O  Saviour  of  the  world;  blessed  are  the 
eyes  which  enjoy  the  felicity  of  seeing  Thee, 

Moreover,  both  the  sisters  said  to  their  mother : 
Our  brother  indeed,  by  the  aid  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  by  the  salutary  intervention 
of  this  girl,  who  pointed  out  to  us  Mary  and  her 
son,  has  been  raised  to  human  form.  Now,  in- 
deed, since  our  brother  is  unmarried,  it  would 
do  very  well  for  us  to  give  him  as  liis  wife  this 
girl,  their  servant.  And  having  asked  the  Lady 
Mary,  and  obtained  her  consent,  they  made  a 
splendid  wedding  for  the  girl;  and  their  sorrow 
being  changed  into  joy,  and  the  beating  of  their 
breasts  into  dancing,  they  began  to  be  glad,  to 
rejoice,  to  exult,  and  sing — adorned,  on  account 
of  their  great  joy,  in  most  splendid  and  gorgeous 
attire.  Then  they  began  to  recite  songs  and 
praises,  and  to  say:  O  Jesus,  son  of  David,  who 
turnest  sorrow  into  gladness,  and  lamentations 
into  j  oy !  And  Joseph  and  Mary  remained  there 
ten  days.  Thereafter  they  set  out,  treated  with 
great  honors  by  these  people,  who  bade  them 
farewell,  and  from  bidding  them  farewell  re- 
turned weeping,  especially  the  girl. 

78 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

9.  The  magnanimity  of  the  robber — Last  deeds 
of  Jesus  in  Egypt 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  23,  24,  25;  Hist, 
of  Joseph,  ch.  8.) 

And  turning  away  from  this  place,  they  came 
to  a  desert ;  and  hearing  that  it  was  infested  by 
robbers,  Joseph  and  INIary  resolved  to  cross  this 
region  by  night.  But  as  they  go  along,  behold, 
they  see  two  robbers  lying  in  the  way,  and  along 
with  them  a  great  number  of  robbers,  who  were 
their  associates,  sleeping.  Now  those  two 
robbers,  into  whose  hands  they  had  fallen,  were 
Titus  and  Dumachus.  Titus  therefore  said  to 
Dumachus :  I  beseech  thee  to  let  these  persons 
go  freely,  and  so  that  our  comrades  may  not 
see  them.  And  as  Dumachus  refused,  Titus  said 
to  him  again:  Take  to  thyself  forty  drachmas 
from  me,  and  hold  this  as  a  pledge.  At  the  same 
time  he  held  out  to  him  the  belt  which  he  had 
had  about  his  waist,  to  keep  him  from  opening 
his  mouth  or  speaking.  And  the  Lady  Mary, 
seeing  that  the  robber  had  done  them  a  kindness, 
said  to  him:  The  Lord  God  will  sustain  thee  by 
His  right  hand,  and  will  grant  thee  remission  of 
thy  sins.  And  the  Lord  Jesus  answered,  and  said 

79 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

to  His  mother :  Thirty  years  hence,  O  my  mother, 
the  Jews  will  crucify  me  at  Jerusalem,  and  these 
two  robbers  will  be  raised  upon  the  cross  along 
with  me,  Titus  on  my  right  hand  and  Dumachus 
on  my  left;  and  after  that  day  Titus  shall  go 
before  me  into  Paradise  J  And  she  said:  God 
keep  this  from  Thee,  my  son.  And  they  went 
thence  toward  a  city  of  idols,  which  as  they 
came  near  it  was  changed  into  sandhills. 

Hence  they  turned  aside  to  that  sycamore 
which  is  now  called  Matarea,^  and  the  Lord 
Jesus  brought  forth  in  Matarea  a  fountain  in 
which  Mary  washed  His  shirt.  And  from  the 
sweat  of  the  Lord  Jesus  which  she  sprinkled 
there,  balsam  was  produced  in  that  region. 
Thence  they  came  down  to  Memphis,  and  saw 

'  According  to  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  ch.  9,  the 
names  of  the  two  robbers  are  Dismas  and  Gestas.  In 
Bedae  Collectan,  their  names  are  given  as  Matha  and 
Joca.  In  the  Greek  church  the  good  robber  is  com- 
memorated on  the  23d  of  March,  in  the  Latin  church,  on 
the  2Sth. 

*  This  town  is  sometimes  identified  with  On,  or  Heli- 
opoHs,  where  lived  Asenath,  the  wife  of  Joseph,  and 
where,  under  the  name  of  Osarsiph,  Moses  had  been  a 
priest.  Onias,  at  the  head  of  a  large  colony  of  Jewish 
refugees,  fleeing  from  the  rage  of  Antiochus,  had  founded 
a  temple  here  and  was  thus  believed  to  have  fulfilled 
the  prophecy  of  Isa.  xix,  19. 
80 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

Pharaoh,  and  remained  three  years  in  Egypt 
until  the  hatred  of  Herod  passed  away.  And 
Jesus  wrought  yet  many  more  miracles  in  Egypt, 
which  are  recorded  neither  in  the  Gospel  of  the 
Infancy  nor  in  the  complete  Gospel.^ 

'  The  "  complete  gospel "  means  no  doubt  the  canon- 
ical gospels.  The  close  of  the  2Sth  chapter  of  the  Gos- 
pel of  the  Infancy,  reminds  of  the  close  of  the  Gospel 
of  John.  Since  the  author  of  the  Arabic  Gospel  of  the 
Infancy  speaks  of  other  miracles  which  are  not  re- 
corded in  his  Gospel,  we  will  add  here  those  miracles 
which  are  recorded  in  other  narratives: 

a.  Jesus  makes  a  dried  fish  live 

(Latin  Gospel  of  Thomas,  ch.  l.) 

And  Jesus  was  in  His  third  year.  And  seeing  boys 
playing,  He  began  to  play  with  them.  And  He  took  a 
dried  fish  and  put  it  into  a  basin,  and  ordered  it  to  move 
about.  And  it  began  to  move  about.  And  He  said 
again  to  the  fish :  Throw  out  thy  salt  which  thou  hast, 
and  walk  into  the  water.  And  it  so  came  to  pass.  And 
the  neighbors  seeing  what  had  been  done,  told  it  to  the 
widow  woman  in  whose  house  Mary  His  mother  lived. 
And  as  soon  as  she  heard  it,  she  thrust  them  out  of  her 
house  with  great  haste. 

b.  Jesus  makes  merry  over  tdvelve  sparrows  which  fell 
into  the  bosom  of  a  schoolmaster 

(Ibid.,  ch.  2.) 

And  as  Jesus  was  walking  with  Mary  through  the 
middle  of  the  city  market-place.  He  looked  and  saw  a 

8i 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

schoolmaster  teaching  his  scholars.  And  behold  twelve 
sparrows  that  were  quarreling  fell  over  the  wall  into 
the  bosom  of  the  schoolmaster,  who  was  teaching  the 
boys.  When  Jesus  saw  it,  He  was  very  much  amused, 
and  stood  still.  And  when  that  teacher  saw  Him  mak- 
ing merry,  he  said  to  his  scholars  with  great  fury :  Go 
and  bring  Him  to  me.  And  when  they  had  carried  Him 
to  the  master,  he  seized  Him  by  the  ear,  and  said.  What 
didst  Thou  see  to  amuse  Thee  so  much?  And  He  said 
to  him :  Master,  see  my  hand  full  of  wheat.  I  showed 
it  to  them,  and  scattered  the  wheat  among  them,  and 
they  carry  it  out  of  the  middle  of  the  street  where  they 
are  in  danger;  and  on  this  account  they  fought  among 
themselves  to  divide  the  wheat.  And  Jesus  did  not  pass 
from  the  place  until  it  was  accomplished.  And  this 
being  done,  the  master  began  to  thrust  Him  out  of  the 
city,  along  with  His  mother. 


Bsi 


SECTION  V 

The  boyhood  of  Jesus — His  several  deeds 

AND    MIRACLES 

At  the  end  of  three  years  the  angel  said  to 
Joseph:  Return  to  the  land  of  Judah,  for  they 
are  dead  who  souglit  the  life  of  the  child.  Joseph 
returned  to  Nazareth  and  from  thence  went  to 
Bethlehem.  Here  at  Bethlehem  Jesus  performed 
many  miracles. 

1.  Healing  of  the  children  having  diseases  of 
the  eye 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  27,  28.) 

There  was  a  woman  there  with  a  sick  son, 
whom,  now  very  near  death,  she  brought  to 
Mary,  who  saw  him  as  she  was  washing  Jesus. 
Then  said  the  woman  to  her:  O  my  Lady  Mary, 
look  upon  this  son  of  mine,  who  is  laboring  under 
a  grievous  disease.  And  Mary  listened  to  her, 
and  said :  Take  a  little  of  that  water  in  which  I 

83 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

have  washed  my  son,  and  sprinkle  him  with  it. 
The  woman  did  as  she  was  told,  and  after  sleep- 
ing a  little,  he  rose  up  from  sleep  safe  and  sound. 
His  mother  rejoiced  at  this,  again  took  him  to 
Mary.  And  she  said  to  her :  Give  thanks  to  God, 
because  He  hath  healed  this  thy  son. 

There  was  also  another  woman,  a  neighbor 
of  her  whose  son  had  lately  been  restored  to 
health.  And  as  her  son  was  laboring  under  the 
same  disease,  and  his  eyes  were  now  almost 
bhnded,  she  wept  night  and  day.  And  the 
mother  of  the  child  that  had  been  cured  said  to 
her:  Why  dost  thou  not  take  thy  son  to  Mary, 
as  I  did  with  mine  when  he  was  nearly  dead? 
And  he  got  well  with  that  water  with  which  the 
body  of  her  son  Jesus  had  been  washed.  And 
when  the  woman  heard  this  from  her,  she  too 
went  and  got  some  of  the  same  water,  and  washed 
her  son  with  it,  and  his  body  and  his  eyes  were 
instantly  made  well.  Her  also,  when  she  had 
brought  her  son  to  Mary,  and  disclosed  to  her 
all  that  had  happened,  Mary  ordered  to  give 
thanks  to  God  for  her  son's  restoration  to  health, 
and  to  tell  nobody  of  this  matter. 


84 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

2.  The  wondrous  cloak  and  the  rival 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  ch.  29.) 

There  were  two  women  in  the  same  city,  wives 
of  one  man,  each  having  a  sick  son.  The  one 
was  called  Mary,  and  her  son's  name  was  Cleo- 
pas.  She  rose  and  took  up  her  son,  and  went 
to  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  offering  her 
a  beautiful  mantle,  said:  O  my  Lady  Mary,  ac- 
cept this  mantle,  and  for  it  give  me  one  small 
bandage.  Mary  did  so,  and  the  mother  of 
Cleopas  went  away,  and  made  a  shirt  of  it,  and 
put  it  on  her  son.  So  he  was  cured  of  his  dis- 
ease; but  the  son  of  her  rival  died.  Hence 
there  sprung  up  hatred  between  them;  and  as 
they  did  the  house-work  alternately  and  it 
was  the  turn  of  Mary  the  mother  of  Cleopas, 
she  heated  the  oven  to  bake  bread;  and  going 
away  to  bring  the  lump  that  she  had  kneaded, 
she  left  her  son  Cleopas  beside  the  oven.  Her 
rival  seeing  him  alone — and  the  oven  was  very 
hot  with  the  fire  blazing  under  it — seized  him 
and  threw  him  into  the  oven,  and  took  herself 
off.  Mary  coming  back,  and  seeing  her  son 
Cleopas  lying  in  the  oven  laughing,  and  the 

85 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

oven  quite  cold,  as  if  no  fire  had  ever  come  near 
it,  knew  that  her  rival  had  thrown  him  into  the 
fire.  She  drew  him  out,  therefore,  and  took  him 
to  the  Lady  Mary,  and  told  her  of  what  had 
happened  to  him.  And  she  said:  Keep  silence, 
and  tell  nobody  of  the  affair;  for  I  am  afraid 
for  you  if  you  divulge  it.  After  this  her  rival 
went  to  the  well  to  draw  water;  and  seeing 
Cleopas  playing  beside  the  well,  and  nobody 
'  near,  she  seized  liim  and  threw  him  into  the  well, 
and  went  home  herself.  And  some  men  who  had 
gone  to  the  well  for  water  saw  the  boy  sitting 
on  the  surface  of  the  water;  and  so  they  went 
down  and  drew  him  out.  And  they  were  seized 
with  a  great  admiration  for  that  boy,  and  praised 
God.  Then  came  his  mother,  and  took  him  up, 
and  went  weeping  to  the  Lady  Mary,  and  said: 
O  my  lady,  see  what  my  rival  has  done  to  my 
son,  and  how  she  has  thrown  him  into  the  well; 
she  will  be  sure  to  destroy  him  some  day  or  other. 
The  Lady  Mary  said  to  her:  God  will  avenge 
thee  upon  her.  Thereafter,  when  her  rival  went 
to  the  well  to  draw  water,  her  feet  got  entangled 
in  the  rope,  and  she  fell  into  the  well.  Some 
men  came  to  draw  her  out,  but  they  found  her 
skull  fractured  and  her  bones  broken.  Thus 
86 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

she  died  a  miserable  death,  and  in  her  came  to 
pass  that  saying :  They  have  digged  a  well  deep, 
but  have  fallen  into  the  pit  which  they  had  pre- 
pared. 

S.  Healing  of  a  sick  hoy  through  the  bed  of 
Jesus 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  ch.  30.) 

Another  woman  there  had  twin  sons  who  had 
fallen  into  disease,  and  one  of  them  died,  and 
the  other  was  at  his  last  breath.  And  his  mother, 
Weeping,  lifted  him  up,  and  took  him  to  Mary, 
and  said:  O  my  lady,  aid  me  and  succor  me. 
For  I  had  two  sons,  and  I  have  just  buried  the 
one,  and  the  other  is  at  the  point  of  death.  See 
how  I  am  going  to  entreat  and  pray  to  God. 
And  she  began  to  say:  O  Lord,  Thou  art  com- 
passionate, and  merciful,  and  full  of  affection. 
Thou  gavest  me  two  sons,  of  whom  Thou  hast 
taken  away  the  one:  this  one  at  least  leave  to 
me.  Wherefore  Mary,  seeing  the  fervor  of 
her  weeping,  had  compassion  on  her,  and  said: 
Put  thy  son  in  my  son's  bed,  and  cover  him 
with  His  clothes.  And  when  she  had  put  him  in 
the  bed  in  which  Christ  was  lying,  he  had  al- 
ready closed  his  eyes  in  death;  but  as  soon  as 

87 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

the  smell  of  the  clothes  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
reached  the  boy,  he  opened  his  eyes,  and,  call- 
ing upon  his  mother  with  a  loud  voice,  he  asked 
for  bread,  and  took  it  and  sucked  it.  Then  his 
mother  said :  O  Mary,  now  I  know  that  the  power 
of  God  dwelleth  in  thee,  so  that  thy  son  heals 
those  that  partake  of  the  same  nature  with  Him- 
self, as  soon  as  they  have  touched  His  clothes. 
This  boy  that  was  healed  is  he  who  in  the  Gospel 
is  called  Bartholomew. 

4.  Healing  of  the  leprous  woman  and  the  leprous 
princess 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  31,  32.) 

There  was  there  a  leprous  woman,  and  she 
came  to  Mary,  the  mother  of  Jesus,  and  said: 
My  Lady,  help  me.  And  Mary  answered :  What 
help  dost  thou  seek?  Is  it  gold  or  silver?  or  is  it 
that  thy  body  be  made  clean  from  the  leprosy? 
And  that  woman  asked :  Who  can  grant  me  this  ? 
And  the  Lady  Mary  said  to  her:  Wait  a  little, 
until  I  shall  have  washed  my  son  Jesus,  and  put 
Him  to  bed.  The  woman  waited,  as  Mary  had 
told  her;  and  when  she  had  put  Jesus  to  bed, 
she  held  out  to  the  woman  the  water  in  which 
88 


BIRTH  AND  CHn.DHOOD 

she  had  washed  His  body,  and  said:  Take  a 
little  of  this  water,  and  pour  it  over  thy  body. 
And  as  soon  as  she  had  done  so,  she  was  cleansed, 
and  gave  praise  and  thanks  to  God. 

After  having  stayed  with  her  three  days,  she 
went  away  and  came  to  a  city  where  she  saw  a 
chief  man,  who  had  married  the  daughter  of 
another  chief  man.  But  when  he  saw  the  woman, 
he  beheld  between  her  eyes  the  mark  of  leprosy 
in  the  shape  of  a  star ;  and  so  the  marriage  was 
dissolved,  and  became  null  and  void.  And  when 
that  woman  saw  them  in  this  condition,  weeping 
and  overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  she  asked  the  cause 
of  their  grief.  But  they  said:  Inquire  not  into 
our  condition,  for  to  no  one  living  can  we  tell 
our  grief,  and  to  none  but  ourselves  can  we  dis- 
close it.  She  urged  them,  however,  and  en- 
treated them  to  entrust  it  to  her,  saying  that 
she  would  '  perhaps  be  able  to  tell  them  of  a 
remedy.  And  when  they  showed  her  the  girl, 
and  the  si^n  of  leprosy  which  appeared  between 
her  eyes,  as  soon  as  she  saw  it,  the  woman  said: 
I  also,  whom  you  see  here,  labored  under  the 
same  disease,  when,  upon  some  business  which 
happened  to  come  in  my  way,  I  went  to  Bethle- 
hem.   There  going  into  a  cave,  I  saw  a  woman 

89 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

named  Mary,  whose  son  was  He  who  was  named 
Jesus ;  and  when  she  saw  that  I  was  a  leper,  she 
took  pity  on  me,  and  handed  me  the  water  with 
which  she  had  washed  her  son's  body.  With  it 
I  sprinkled  my  body,  and  came  out  clean.  Then 
the  woman  said  to  her:  Wilt  thou  not,  O  lady, 
rise  and  go  with  us,  and  show  us  the  Lady  Mary .'' 
And  she  assented;  and  they  rose  and  went  to 
Mary,  carrying  with  them  splendid  gifts.  And 
when  they  had  gone  in,  and  presented  to  her 
the  gifts,  they  showed  her  the  leprous  girl  whom 
they  had  brought.  Mary  therefore  said:  May 
the  compassion  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  descend 
upon  you;  and  handing  to  them  also  a  little  of 
the  water  in  which  she  had  washed  the  body  of 
Jesus  Christ,  she  ordered  the  wretched  woman 
to  be  bathed  in  it.  And  when  this  had  been  done, 
she  was  immediately  cured;  and  they,  and  all 
standing  by  praised  God.  Joyfully  therefore 
they  returned  to  their  own  city,  praising  the 
Lord  for  what  He  had  done.  And  when  the  chief 
heard  that  his  wife  had  been  cured,  he  took  her 
home,  and  made  a  second  marriage,  and  gave 
thanks  to  God  for  the  recovery  of  his  wife's 
health. 


90 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

5.  Demoniacs,  •whom  Satan  persecutes    in    the 
form  of  a  huge  dragon,  are  healed 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  S3,  34-) 

There  was  also  there  a  young  woman  aiflicted 
by  Satan;  for  that  accursed  wretch  repeatedly 
appeared  to  her  in  the  form  of  a  huge  dragon, 
and  prepared  to  swallow  heir.  He  also  sucked 
out  all  her  blood,  so  that  she  was  left  like  a 
corpse.  As  often  as  he  came  near  her,  she,  with 
her  hands  clasped  over  her  head,  cried  out,  and 
said:  Woe,  woe's  me,  for  nobody  is  near  to  free 
me  from  that  accursed  dragon.  And  her  father 
and  mother,  and  all  who  were  about  her  or  saw 
her,  bewailed  her  lot;  and  men  stood  round  her 
in  a  crowd,  and  all  wept  and  lamented,  especially 
when  she  wept,  and  said:  Oh,  my  brethren  and 
friends,  is  there  no  one  to  free  me  from  that 
murderer.?  And  the  daughter  of  the  chief  who 
had  been  healed  of  her  leprosy,  hearing  the  girl's 
voice,  went  up  to  the  roof  of  her  castle,  and  saw 
her  with  her  hands  clasped  over  her  head  weep- 
ing, and  all  the  crowds  standing  round  her  weep- 
ing as  well.  She  therefore  asked  the  demoniac's 
husband  whether  his  wife's  mother  were  alive. 

91 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

And  when  he  answered  that  both  her  parents 
were  living,  she  said:  Send  for  her  mother  to 
come  to  me.  And  when  she  saw  that  he  had 
sent  for  her,  and  she  had  come,  she  said :  Is  that 
distracted  girl  thy  daughter?  Yes,  O  lady,  said 
that  sorrowful  and  weeping  woman,  she  is  my 
(daughter.  The  chief's  daughter  answered :  Keep 
my  secret,  for  I  confess  to  thee  that  I  was  for- 
merly a  leper;  but  now  the  Lady  Mary,  the 
mother  of  Jesus  Christ,  has  healed  me.  But  if 
thou  wishest  thy  daughter  to  be  healed,  take 
her  to  Bethlehem,  and  seek  Mary  the  mother  of 
Jesus,  and  believe  that  thy  daughter  will  be 
healed ;  I  indeed  believe  that  thou  wilt  come  back 
with  joy,  with  thy  daughter  healed.  As  soon  as 
the  woman  heard  the  words  of  the  chief's 
daughter,  she  led  away  her  daughter  in  haste; 
and  going  to  the  place  indicated,  she  went  to  the 
Lady  Mary,  and  revealed  to  her  the  state  of  her 
daughter.  And  the  Lady  Mary  hearing  her 
words,  gave  her  a  little  of  the  water  in  which 
she  had  washed  the  body  of  her  son  Jesus,  and 
ordered  her  to  pour  it  on  the  body  of  her 
daughter.  She  gave  her  also  from  the  clothes 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  a  swathing-cloth,  saying: 
Take  this  cloth,  and  show  it  to  thine  enemy  as 
92 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

often  as  thou  shalt  see  him.     And  she  saluted 
them,  and  sent  them  away. 

When,  therefore,  they  had  gone  away  from 
her,  and  returned  to  their  own  district,  and  the 
time  was  at  hand  at  which  Satan  was  wont  to 
attack  her,  at  this  very  time  that  accursed  one 
appeared  to  her  in  the  shape  of  a  huge  dragon, 
and  the  girl  was  afraid  at  the  sight  of  him.  And 
her  mother  said  to  her:  Fear  not,  my  daughter; 
allow  him  to  come  near  thee,  and  then  show  him 
the  cloth  which  the  Lady  Mary  hath  given  us, 
and  let  us  see  what  will  happen.  Satan,  there- 
fore, having  come  near  in  the  likeness  of  a  ter- 
rible dragon,  the  body  of  the  girl  shuddered  for 
fear  of  him;  but  as  soon  as  she  took  out  the 
cloth,  and  placed  it  on  her  head,  and  covered 
her  eyes  with  it,  flames  and  live  coals  began  to 
dart  forth  from  it,  and  to  be  cast  upon  the 
dragon.  Oh  the  great  miracle  which  was  done 
as  soon  as  the  dragon  saw  the  cloth  of  the  Lord  ,  , 
Jesus,  from  which  the  fire  darted,  and  was  cast 
upon  his  head  and  eyes !  He  cried  out  with  a 
loud  voice:  What  have  I  to  do  with  Thee,  0 
Jesus,  son  of  Mary?  Whither  shall  I  fly  from 
Thee?  And  with  great  fear  he  turned  his  back 
and  departed  from  the  girl,  and  never  after- 

93 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

wards  appeared  to  her.  And  the  girl  now  had 
rest  from  him,  and  gave  praise  and  thanks  to 
God,  and  along  with  her  all  who  were  present 
at  that  miracle. 

6.  Healing  of  the  savage  Judas 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  ch.  35.) 

Another  woman  was  living  in  the  same  place, 
whose  son  was  tormented  by  Satan.  He,  Judas 
by  name,  as  often  as  Satan  seized  him  used  to 
bite  all  who  came  near  him;  and  if  he  found  no 
one  near  him,  he  used  to  bite  his  own  hands  and 
other  limbs.  The  mother  of  tliis  wretched  crea- 
ture, then,  hearing  the  fame  of  the  Lady  Mary 
and  her  son  Jesus,  rose  up  and  brought  her  son 
Judas  with  her  to  the  Lady  Mary.  In  the  mean- 
time, James  and  Joses  had  taken  the  child  the 
Lord  Jesus  with  them  to  play  with  the  other 
^  children;  and  they  had  gone  out  of  the  house 
and  sat  down,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  with 
them.  And  the  demoniac  Judas  came  up, 
and  sat  down  at  Jesus'  right  hand:  then, 
being  attacked  by  Satan  in  the  same  manner 
as  usual,  he  wished  to  bite  the  Lord  Jesus, 
but  was  not  able ;  nevertheless  he  struck  Jesus 

94 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

on  the  right  side,  whereupon  He  began  to 
weep.  And  immediately  Satan  went  forth  out 
of  that  boy,  fleeing  like  a  mad  dog.  And  this 
boy  who  struck  Jesus,  and  out  of  whom  Satan 
went  forth  in  the  shape  of  a  dog,  was  Judas 
Iscariot,  who  betrayed  Him  to  the  Jews ;  and 
that  same  side  on  which  Judas  struck  Him,  the 
Jews  transfixed  with  a  lance.^ 

7.  Jesus  molds  sparrows  from  clay  and  causes 
them  to  -fly — Pools  dry  up  at  His  behest — 
Two  boys  die  at  His  word — Jesus  causes  His 
accusers  to  become  blind 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  46,  47;    Gospel  of 
Thomas,  chs.  2,  3.) 

And  Jesus  being  five  years  old  ^  was  playing 
with  other  boys  at  the  crossing  of  a  stream,  and 
He  collected  the  running  waters  into  pools,  and 
immediately  made  them  pure ;  and  by  His  word 
alone  He  commanded  them.     And  having  made 

*  Jacobus,  a  Voragine,  Legenda  Aurea,  ch.  45  (ed. 
Grasse,  1846,  p.  184  seq.),  tells  us  that  Judas  was  a 
foundling,  who  was  bad  already  when  a  boy;  became 
acquainted  with  Pilate,  and  finally  killed  his  father  and 
married  his  mother. 

*  According  to  the  Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  He 
was  seven  years  old. 

95 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

some  soft  clay,  He  fashioned  out  of  it  twelve 
sparrows.  And  it  was  the  Sabbath  when  He  did 
these  things.  And  there  were  also  many  other 
children  playing  with  Him.  And  a  certain  Jew, 
seeing  what  Jesus  was  doing,  playing  on  the 
Sabbath,  went  off  immediately,  and  said  to  His 
father  Joseph :  Behold,  thy  son  is  at  the  stream, 
and  has  taken  clay,  and  made  of  it  twelve  birds, 
and  has  profaned  the  Sabbath.  And  Joseph, 
coming  to  the  place  and  seeing,  cried  out  to 
Him,  saying :  Wherefore  doest  Thou  on  the  Sab- 
bath what  it  is  not  lawful  to  do.?  And  Jesus 
clapped  His  hands,  and  cried  out  to  the  spar- 
rows, and  said  to  them:  Off  you  go!  And  the 
sparrows  flew,  and  went  off  crying.^  And  the 
Jews  seeing  this  were  amazed,  and  went  away 
and  reported  to  their  chief  men  what  they  had 
seen  Jesus  doing.  And  the  son  of  Annas  the 
scribe  was  standing  there  with  Joseph;  and  he 
took  a  willow  branch,  and  let  out  the  waters 
which  Jesus  had  collected.  And  Jesus,  seeing 
what  was  done,  was  angry,  and  said  to  him:  O 
wicked,  impious,  and  foolish !  what  harm  did  the 
pools  and  the  waters  do  to  thee?  Behold,  even 
now  thou  shalt  be  dried  up  like  a  tree,  and  thou 

'  Comp.  also,  Koran,  Sura  III,  48. 
96 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

shalt  not  bring  forth  either  leaves,  or  root,  or 
fruit.  And  straightway  that  boy  was  quite  dried 
I -p.  And  Jesus  departed,  and  went  to  Joseph's 
house.  But  the  parents  of  the  boy  that  had  been 
dried  up  took  him  up,  bewailing  his  youth,  and  • 
brought  him  to  Joseph,  and  reproached  him  be- 
cause he  had  a  child  doing  such  things.  At  an- 
other time,  when  Jesus  was  returning  home  with 
Joseph  in  the  evening.  He  met  a  boy,  who  ran 
up  against  Him  with  so  much  force  that  He 
fell.  And  Jesus  said  to  him :  As  thou  hast  thrown 
me  down,  so  thou  shalt  fall,  and  not  rise  again. 
And  the  same  hour  the  boy  fell  down,  and  ex- 
pired. And  some  who  saw  what  had  taken  place, 
said :  Whence  was  this  child  begotten,  that  every  • 
word  of  His  is  certainly  accomplished  ?  And  the 
parents  of  the  dead  boy  went  away  to  Joseph, 
and  blamed  him  saying:  Since  thou  hast  such  a 
child,  it  is  impossible  for  thee  to  live  with  us 
in  the  village ;  or  else  teach  Him  to  bless,  and  not 
to  curse;  for  He  is  kilKng  our  children. 

And  Joseph  called  the  child  apart,  and  ad- 
monished Him  saying:  Why  doest  Thou  such 
things,  and  these  people  suffer,  and  hate  us,  and 
persecute  us  ?  And  Jesus  said :  I  know  that  these 
words  of  thine  are  not  thine  own;  neverthelesa 

97 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

for  thy  sake  I  will  be  silent ;  but  they  shall  bear 
their  punishment.  And  straightway  those  that 
accused  Him  were  struck  blind.  And  those 
who  saw  it  were  much  afraid  and  in  great  per- 
plexity, and  said  about  Him:  Every  word 
which  He  spoke,  whether  good  or  bad,  was  an 
act,  and  became  a  wonder.  And  when  they  saw 
that  Jesus  had  done  such  a  tiling,  Joseph  rose 
and  took  hold  of  His  ear,  and  pulled  it  hard. 
And  the  child  was  very  angry,  and  said  to  him: 
It  is  enough  for  thee  that  they  seek  and  do  not 
find;  and  most  certainly  thou  hast  not  done 
wisely.  Thou  knowest  not,  who  I  am;  if  thou 
didst  know  it,  thou  wouldst  not  grieve  Me.  And 
although  I  am  with  thee,  yet  I  have  been  be- 
gotten before  thee. 

8.  Jesus  and  His  schoolmasters 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  48,  49;    Gospel  of 
Thomas,  chs.  6,  7,  8,  14,  15.) 

A  certain  teacher,  Zacchseus  by  name,  was 
standing  in  a  certain  place,  and  heard  Him 
speaking  to  His  father ;  and  he  wondered  exceed- 
ingly, that,  being  a  child.  He  should  speak  in 
such  a  way.  And  a  few  days  thereafter  he  came 
to  Joseph,  and  said  to  him :  Thou  hast  a  sensible 
98 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

child,  and  He  has  some  mind.     Give  Him  to  me, 

then,  that  He  may  learn  letters;   and  I  shall 

teach  Him  along  with  the  letters  all  knowledge, 

both  how  to  address  all  the  elders,  and  to  honor 

them  as  forefathers  and  fathers,  and  how  to  love 

those  of  His  own  age.     Joseph  gave  him  his 

consent  and  reported  this  to  Mary.     So  they 

brought  Him  to  the  master,  and  as  soon  as  he 

saw  Him  he  wrote  the  Alphabet  for  Him,  and  told 

Him  all  the  letters  from  Alpha  to  Omega  with 

much  distinctness  and  clearly.    And  he  bade  Him 

say  aleph;  and  when  He  had  said  aleph,    the 

master  ordered  Him  to  say  beth.  And  Jesus  said 

to  h-im:  Tell  me  fii'st  the  meaning  of  the  letter 

aleph  and  I  will  say  heth.    And  when  the  master 

threatened  to  whip  Him,"*  Jesus  looked  at  the 

teacher,  and  said  to  liim :  Thou  that  knowest  not 

*  Longfellow,  in  the  second  part  of  his  Cltristus,  en- 
titled The  Golden  Legend,  thus  speaks  of  Jesus  at 
school : 

"  Rabbi.    Now  little  Jesus,  the  carpenter's  son, 

Let  us  see  how  Thy  task  is  done; 

Canst  Thou  Thy  letters  say? 
Jesus.    Aleph. 
Rabbi.    What  next  ?    Do  not  stop  yet ! 

Go  on  with  all  the  alphabet. 

Come,  Aleph,  Beth;   dost  Thou  forget? 

Cock's  soul!    Thou'dst  rather  play! 

99 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

aleph  naturally,  how  dost  thou  teach  beth  to 
others?  Hypocrite,  if  thou  knowest,  first  teach 
the  A,  and  then  we  shall  beUeve  thee  about 
the  B.  Then  He  began  to  question  the  teacher 
about  the  first  letter,  and  he  v/as  not  able  to 
answer  Him.  And  in  the  hearing  of  many,  the 
cliild  says  to  Zacchcsus:  Hear,  O  teacher,  the 
order  of  the  first  letter,  and  notice  here  how  it 
has  lines,  and  a  middle  stroke  crossing  those 
which  thou  seest  common;  (lines)  brought  to- 
gether; the  liighest  part  supporting  them,  and 
again  bringing  them  under  one  head ;  with  three 
points  of  intersection;  of  the  same  kind;  princi- 
pal and  subordinate;  of  equal  length.  Thou 
hast  the  lines  of  the  A. 

Also  He  explained  which  figures  of  the  letter 
were  straight,  which  crooked,  which  drawn  round 
into  a  spiral,  which  marked  with  points,  which 
without  them,  why  one  letter  went  before  an- 

Jesus.    What   Aleph   means    I    fain   would   know 
Before  I  any  farther  go! 

Rabbi.     Oh,  by  Saint  Peter!    wouldst  Thou  so? 
Come  hither,  boy,  to  me. 
As  surely  as  the  letter  Jod 
Once  cried  aloud  and  spake  to  God, 
So  surely  shalt  Thou  feel  this  rod, 
And  punished  shalt  Thou  be !  " 

100 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

other;  and  many  other  things  He  began  to  re- 
count and  to  elucidate  wliich  the  master  himself 
had  never  either  heard  or  read  in  any  book.  The 
Lord  Jesus,  moreover,  said  to  the  master:  Listen, 
and  I  shall  say  them  to  thee.  And  He  began 
clearly  and  distinctly  to  repeat  Aleph,  Beth, 
Gimel,  Daleth,  on  to  Tau. 

And  when  the  teacher  Zacchseus  heard  the  child 
speaking  such  and  so  great  allegories  of  the 
first  letter,  he  was  at  a  great  loss  about  such  a 
narrative,  and  about  such  teaching.  And  he  said 
to  those  that  were  present :  Alas !  I,  wretch  that 
I  am,  am  at  a  loss,  bringing  shame  upon  myself 
by  having  dragged  this  child  hither.  Take  Him 
away,  then,  I  beseech  thee,  brother  Joseph.  I 
cannot  endure  the  sternness  of  His  look;  I  can- 
not make  out  His  meaning  at  all.  That  child 
does  not  belong  to  this  earth ;  He  can  tame  even 
fire.  Assuredly  He  was  born  before  the  creation 
of  the  world.  What  sort  of  a  belly  bore  Him, 
what  sort  of  a  womb  nourished  Kim,  I  do  not 
know.  Alas !  my  friend.  He  has  carried  me 
away;  I  cannot  get  at  His  meaning:  thrice 
wretched  that  I  am,  I  have  deceived  myself.  I 
made  a  struggle  to  have  a  scholar,  and  I  was 
found  to  have  a  teacher.    My  mind  is  filled  with 

lOI 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

shame,  my  friends,  because  I,  an  old  man,  have 
been  conquered  by  a  cliild.  There  is  nothing 
for  me  but  despondency  and  death  on  account 
of  this  boy,  for  I  am  not  able  at  this  hour  to  look 
Him  in  the  face ;  and  when  everybody  says  that 
I  have  been  beaten  by  a  little  child,  what  can  I 
say?  And  how  can  I  give  an  account  of  the 
lines  of  the  first  letter  that  He  spoke  about?  I 
know  not,  O  my  friends ;  for  I  can  make  neither 
beginning  nor  end  of  Him.  Therefore,  I  beseech 
thee,  brother  Joseph,  take  Him  home.  What 
great  thing  He  is,  either  god  or  angel,  or  what 
I  am  to  say,  I  know  not. 

And  when  the  Jews  were  encouraging  Zac- 
chaeus,  the  child  laughed  aloud,  and  said:  Now 
let  thy  learning  bring  forth  fruit,  and  let  the 
blind  in  heart  see.  I  am  here  from  above,  that 
I  may  curse  them,  and  call  them  to  the  things 
that  are  above,  as  He  that  sent  Me  on  your  ac- 
count has  commanded  Me.  And  when  the  child 
ceased  speaking,  immediately  all  were  made 
whole  who  had  fallen  under  His  curse.  And  no 
one  after  that  dared  to  make  Him  angry,  lest 
He  should  curse  him,  and  he  should  be  maimed. 

And  Joseph,  seeing  that  the  child  was  vigor- 
ous in  mind  and  body,  again  resolved  that  He 
102 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

should  not  remain  ignorant  of  the  letters,  and 
took  Him  away,  and  handed  Him  over  to  another 
teacher.  And  the  teacher  said  to  Joseph  I  shall 
first  teach  Him  the  Greek  letters,  and  then  the 
Hebrew.  For  the  teacher  was  aware  of  the  trial 
that  had  been  made  of  the  child,  and  was  afraid 
of  Him.  Nevertheless  he  wrote  out  the  alphabet, 
and  gave  Him  all  his  attention  for  a  long  time, 
and  He  made  him  no  answer.  And  Jesus  said 
to  him:  If  thou  art  really  a  teacher,  and  art 
well  acquainted  with  the  letters,  tell  Me  the  power 
of  the  Alpha,  and  I  will  tell  thee  the  power  of 
the  Beta.  And  the  teacher  was  enraged  at  this, 
and  struck  Him  on  the  head.  And  the  child, 
being  in  pain,  cursed  him;  and  immediately  he 
swooned  away,  and  fell  to  the  ground  on  his 
face.  And  the  child  returned  to  Joseph's  house ; 
and  Joseph  was  grieved,  and  gave  orders  to  His 
mother,  saying:  Do  not  let  Him  go  outside  of 
the  door,  because  those  that  make  Him  angry 
die. 

And  after  some  time,  another  master  again, 
a  genuine  friend  of  Joseph,  said  to  him:  Bring 
the  child  to  my  school ;  perhaps  I  shall  be  able 
to  flatter  Him  into  learning  His  letters.  And. 
Joseph  said:  If  thou  hast  the  courage,  brotheri 
103 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

take  Him  with  thee.  And  he  took  Him  with  him 
in  fear  and  great  agony ;  but  the  child  went  along 
pleasantly.  And  going  boldly  into  the  school, 
He  found  a  book  lying  on  the  reading-desk ;  and 
taking  it,  He  read  not  the  letters  that  were  in  it, 
but  opening  His  mouth.  He  spoke  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  taught  the  law  to  those  that  were 
standing  round.  And  a  great  crowd  having 
come  together,  stood  by  and  heard  Him,  and 
wondered  at  the  ripeness  of  His  teaching,  and 
the  readiness  of  His  words,  and  that  He,  child  as 
He  was,  spoke  in  such  a  way.  And  Joseph 
hearing  of  it,  was  afraid,  and  ran  to  the  school, 
in  doubt  lest  this  master  too  should  be  without 
experience.  And  the  master  said  to  Joseph: 
Know,  brother,  that  I  have  taken  the  child  as  a 
scholar,  and  He  is  full  of  much  grace  and  wis- 
dom ;  but  I  beseech  thee,  brother,  take  Him  home. 
And  when  the  child  heard  this,  He  laughed  at 
him  directly,  and  said:  Since  thou  hast  spoken 
aright,  and  witnessed  aright,  for  thy  sake  he 
also  that  was  struck  down  shall  be  cured.  And 
immediately  the  other  master  was  cured.  And 
Joseph  took  the  child,  and  went  away  home. 


104 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

9.  Jesus  restores  to  life  a  hoy  who  fell  down 
from  the  housetop;  also  a  hoy  who  died  when 
cleaving  wood;  also  a  child  which  had  died,  and 
a  workingman  lying  dead 

(Arabic    Gospel    of   the    Infancy,    ch.    44;     Gospel    of 
Thomas,  chs.  9,  10,  17,  18.) 

One  day  when  the  Lord  Jesus  was  again  with 
the  boys  playing  on  the  roof  of  a  house,  one  of  • 
the  boys  fell  down  from  above,  and  immediately 
expired.  And  the  rest  of  the  boys  fled  in  all  di- 
rections, and  the  Lord  Jesus  was  left  alone  on 
the  roof.  And  the  relations  of  the  boy  came  up 
and  said  to  the  Lord  Jesus:  It  was  Thou  who 
didst  throw  our  son  headlong  from  the  roof.  And 
when  He  denied  it,  they  cried  out,  sa3dng:  Our 
son  is  dead,  and  here  is  He  who  has  killed  him. 
And  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  them :  Do  not  bring 
an  evil  report  against  Me ;  but  if  you  do  not  be- 
lieve Me,  come  and  let  us  ask  the  boy  himself, 
that  he  may  bring  the  truth  to  light.  Then  the 
Lord  Jesus  went  down,  and  standing  over  the 
dead  body,  said,  with  a  loud  voice:  Zeno,  Zeno,  « 
who  tlirew  thee  down  from  the  roof.?  Then  the 
dead  boy  answered  and  said :  My  lord,  it  was 
not    Thou    who    didst    tlu-ow    me    down,    but 

105 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

such  a  one  cast  me  down  from  it.  And 
when  the  Lord  commanded  those  who  were  stand- 
ing by  to  attend  to  his  words,  they  were  amazed 
when  seeing  this.  And  the  child's  parents  glori- 
fied God  on  account  of  the  miracle  that  had  hap- 
pened, and  adored  Jesus.  _ 

A  few  days  after,  a  young  man  was  split- 
ting wood  in  the  corner,  and  the  ax  came  down 
and  cut  the  sole  of  his  foot  in  two,  and  he  died 
from  loss  of  blood.  And  there  was  a  great  com- 
motion, and  people  ran  together,  and  the  child 
Jesus  ran  there  too.  And  He  pressed  through 
the  crowd,  and  laid  hold  of  the  young  man's 
wounded  foot,  and  he  was  cured  immediately. 
And  He  said  to  the  young  man:  Rise  up  now, 
split  the  wood,  and  remember  Me.  And  the 
crowd  seeing  what  had  happened,  adored  the 
child,  saying :  Truly  the  Spirit  of  God  dwells  in 
this  child. 

And  after  this  the  infant  of  one  of  Joseph's 
neighbors  fell  sick  and  died,  and  its  mother  wept 
sore.  And  Jesus  heard  that  there  was  great 
lamentation  and  commotion,  and  ran  in  haste, 
and  found  the  child  dead,  and  touched  his  breast, 
and  said:  I  say  to  thee,  child,  be  not  dead,  but 
live,  and  be  with  thy  mother.  And  directly  it 
io6 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

looked  up  and  laughed.  And  He  said  to  the 
woman :  Take  it,  and  give  it  milk,  and  remember 
Me.  And  seeing  this,  the  crowd  that  was  stand- 
ing, by  wondered,  and  said :  Truly  this  child  was 
either  God  or  an  angel  of  God,  for  every  word 
of  His  is  a  certain  fact.  And  Jesus  went  out 
thence,  playing  with  the  other  children. 

And  some  time  after  there  occurred  a  great 
commotion  while  a  house  was  being  built,  and 
Jesus  stood  up  and  went  away  to  the  place. 
And  seeing  a  man  lying  dead,  He  took  him  by 
the  hand,  and  said:  Man,  I  say  to  thee,  arise, 
and  go  on  with  thy  work.  And  directly  he  rose 
up  and  adored  Him.  And  seeing  this,  the 
crowd  wondered,  and  said:  This  child  is  from 
heaven,  for  He  has  saved  many  souls  from  death, 
and  He  continues  to  save  during  all  His  Ufe. 

10.  Several  miraculous  deeds  of  Jesus:  He  car- 
ries  water  in  His  garment;  makes  clay  figures 
alive;  dyes  cloths;  turns  His  playmates  into 
kids;  causes  a  rich  harvest 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  45,  2^,  27^  40 ;  Gos- 
pel of  Thomas,  chs.  11,  12.) 

And  when  He  was  six  years  old.  His  mother 
gave  Him  a  pitcher,   and  sent  Him  to  draw 
107 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

water,  and  bring  it  into  the  house.  But  He 
struck  against  some  one  in  the  crowd,  and  the 
pitcher  was  broken.  And  Jesus  unfolded  the 
cloak  which  He  had  on,  and  filled  it  with  water, 
and  carried  it  to  His  mother.  And  His  mother, 
seeing  the  miracle  that  had  happened,  kissed 
Him,  and  kept  within  herself  the  mysteries  which 
she  had  seen  Him  doing. 

Now,  when  the  Lord  Jesus  had  completed 
seven  years  from  His  birth,  on  a  certain  day  He 
was  occupied  with  boj^s  of  His  own  age.  For 
they  were  playing  among  clay,  from  which  they 
were  making  images  of  asses,  oxen,  birds,  and 
other  animals;  and  each  one  boasting  of  his 
skill,  was  praising  his  own  work.  Then  the 
Lord  Jesus  said  to  the  boys :  The  images  that  I 
have  made  I  will  order  to  walk.  The  boys  asked 
Him  whether  then  He  were  the  son  of  the  Crea- 
tor: and  the  Lord  Jesus  bade  them  walk.  And 
they  immediately  began  to  leap ;  and  then,  when 
He  had  given  them  leave,  they  again  stood  still. 
And  He  had  made  figures  of  birds  and  sparrows, 
which  flew  when  He  told  them  to  fly,  and  stood 
still  when  He  told  them  to  stand,  and  ate  and 
drank  when  He  handed  them  food  and  drink. 
I08 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

After  the  boys  had  gone  away  and  told  this  to 
their  parents,  their  fathers  said  to  them:  My 
sons,  take  care  not  to  keep  company  with  Him 
again,  for  He  is  a  wizard ;  flee  from  Him,  there- 
fore, and  avoid  Him ;  and  do  not  play  with  Him 
again  after  this. 

On  a  certain  day  the  Lord  Jesus,  running 
about  and  playing  with  the  boys,  passed  the 
shop  of  a  dyer,  whose  name  was  Salem;  and  he 
had  in  his  shop  many  pieces  of  cloth  which  he 
was  to  dye.  The  Lord  Jesus  then,  going  into 
his  shop,  took  up  all  the  pieces  of  cloth,  and 
threw  them  into  a  tub  full  of  indigo.  And  when 
Salem  came  and  saw  his  cloths  destroyed,  he  be- 
gan to  cry  out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  to  reproach 
Jesus,  saying:  Why  hast  Thou  done  this  to  me, 
O  son  of  Mary  ?  Thou  hast  disgraced  me  before 
all  my  townsmen:  for,  seeing  that  every  one 
wished  the  color  that  suited  himself,  Thou  in- 
deed hast  come  and  destroyed  them  all.  The 
Lord  Jesus  answered:  I  shall  change  for  thee 
the  color  of  any  piece  of  cloth  which  thou  shalt 
wish  to  be  changed.  And  immediately  He  be- 
gan to  take  the  pieces  of  cloth  out  of  the  tub, 
each  of  them  of  that  color  which  the  dyer 
109 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

wished,  until  He  had  taken  them  all  out.  When 
the  Jews  saw  this  miracle  and  prodigy,  they 
praised  God. 

On  another  day  the  Lord  Jesus  went  out  into 
the  road,  and  saw  the  boys  that  had  come  to- 
gether to  play,  and  followed  them ;  but  the  boys 
hid  themselves  from  Him.  The  Lord  Jesus, 
therefore,  having  come  to  the  door  of  a  certain 
house,  and  seen  some  women  standing  there, 
asked  them  where  the  boys  had  gone ;  and  when 
they  answered  that  there  was  no  one  there.  He 
said  again :  Who  are  these  whom  you  see  in  the  ' 
furnace?  They  replied  that  they  were  kids  of 
three  years  old.  And  the  Lord  Jesus  cried 
out,  and  said:  Come  out  hither,  O  kids,  to 
your  Shepherd.  Then  the  boys,  in  the  form 
of  kids,  came  out,  and  began  to  dance  round 
Him;  and  the  women,  seeing  this,  were  very 
much  astonished,  and  were  seized  with  trem- 
bling, and  speedily  supplicated  and  adored  the 
Lord  Jesus,  saying:  O  our  Lord  Jesus,  son  of 
Mary,  Thou  art  of  a  truth  that  good  Shepherd 
of  Israel ;  have  mercy  on  Thy  handmaidens  who 
stand  before  Thee,  and  who  have  never  doubted : 
for  Thou  hast  come,  O  our  Lord,  to  heal,  and 
not  to  destroy.  And  when  the  Lord  Jesus  an- 
IIO 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

swered  that  the  sons  of  Israel  were  like  the 
Ethiopians  among  the  nations,  the  women  said: 
Thou,  O  liOrd,  knowest  all  things,  nor  is  any- 
thing hid  from  Thee;  now,  indeed,  we  beseech 
Thee,  and  ask  Thee  of  Thy  affection  to  restore  ^ 
these  boys  Thy  servants  to  their  former  condi- 
tion. The  Lord  Jesus  therefore  said:  Come, 
boys,  let  us  go  and  play.  And  immediately, 
while  these  women  were  standing  by,  the  kids 
were  changed  into  boys. 

And  again  in  seed-time  the  child  went  out 
with  His  father  to  sow  corn  in  their  land.  And 
while  His  father  was  sowing,  the  child  Jesus  also 
sowed  one  grain  of  corn.  And  when  He  had 
reaped  it,  and  threshed  it.  He  made  a  hundred 
kors ;  and  calling  all  the  poor  of  the  village  to 
the  threshing-floor.  He  gave  them  the  corn,  and 
Joseph  took  away  what  was  left  of  the  corn. 
And  He  was  eight  years  old  when  He  did  this 
miracle. 

11.  Jesus  in  the  den  of  the  lion — Passes  througB 

the  Jordan 

(Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  chs.  35,  36.) 

There  is  a  road  going  out  of  Jericho  and  lead- 
ing to  the  river  Jordan,  to  the  place  where  the 
III 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

children  of  Israel  crossed:  and  there  the  ark  of 
the  covenant  is  said  to  have  rested.  And  Jesus 
was  eight  3-ears  old,  and  He  went  out  of  Jericho, 
and  went  towards  the  Jordan.  And  there  was 
beside  the  road,  near  the  bank  of  the  Jordan,  a 
cave  where  a  lioness  was  nursing  her  cubs ;  and 
no  one  was  safe  to  walk  that  way.  Jesus  then, 
coming  from  Jericho,  and  knowing  that  in  that 
cave  the  lioness  had  brought  forth  her  young, 
went  into  it  in  the  sight  of  all.  And  when  the 
lions  saw  Jesus,  they  ran  to  meet  Him,  and 
adored  Him.  And  Jesus  was  sitting  in  the 
cavern,  and  the  lion's  cubs  ran  hither  and  tliither 
round  His  feet,  fawning  upon  Him,  and  sport- 
ing. And  the  older  lions,  with  their  heads  bowed 
down,  stood  at  a  distance,  and  adored  Him,  and 
fawned  upon  Him  with  their  tails.  Then  the 
people  who  were  standing  afar  ojff,  not  seeing 
Jesus,  said:  Unless  He  or  His  parents  had  com- 
mitted grievous  sins.  He  would  not  of  His  own 
accord  have  offered  Himself  up  to  the  lions. 
And  when  the  people  were  thus  reflecting  witliin 
themselves,  and  were  lying  under  great  sorrow, 
behold,  on  a  sudden,  in  the  sight  of  the  people, 
Jesus  came  out  of  the  cave,  and  the  lions  went 
before  Him,  and  the  lion's  cubs  played  with  each 

112 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

other  before  His  feet.  And  the  parents  of  Jesus 
stood  afar  off,  Avith  their  heads  bowed  down,  and 
watched;  hkewise  also  the  people  stood  at  a 
distance,  on  account  of  the  lions;  for  they  did 
not  dare  to  come  close  to  them.  Then  Jesus 
began  to  say  to  the  people:  How  much  better 
are  the  beasts  than  you,  seeing  that  they  recog- 
nize their  Lord,  and  glorify  Him;  while  you 
men,  who  have  been  made  after  the  image  and 
likeness  of  God,  do  not  know  Him!  Beasts 
know  Me,  and  are  tame;  men  see  Me,  and  do 
not  acknowledge  Me. 

After  these  things  Jesus  crossed  the  Jordan, 
in  the  sight  of  them  all,  with  the  lions;  and  the 
water  of  the  Jordan  was  divided  on  the  right 
hand  and  on  the  left.  Then  He  said  to  the  lions, 
in  the  hearing  of  all:  Go  in  peace,  and  hurt 
no  one ;  but  neither  let  man  injure  you,  until  you 
return  to  the  place  whence  you  have  come  forth. 
And  they,  bidding  Him  farewell,  not  only  with 
their  gestures  but  with  their  voices,  went  to  their 
own  place.     But  Jesus  returned  to  His  mother. 


"3 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

12.  Boys  crown  Jesus  as  King — He  heals  Simon 
of  a  serpent's  bite — also  His  brother  James 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  41-43;    Gospel  of 
Thomas,  ch.  16.) 

Now  in  the  month  of  Adar,  Jesus,  after  the 
manner  of  a  king,  assembled  the  boys  together. 
They  spread  their  clothes  on  the  ground,  and 
He  sat  down  upon  them.  Then  they  put  on  His 
head  a  crown  made  of  flowers,  and,  like  chamber- 
servants,  stood  in  His  presence,  on  the  right  and 
on  the  left,  as  if  He  were  a  king.  And  whoever 
passed  by  that  way  was  forcibly  dragged  by  the 
boys,  saying:  Come  hither,  and  adore  the  king; 
then  go  thy  way. 

In  the  meantime,  while  these  things  were  going 
on,  some  men  came  up  candying  a  boy.  For 
this  boy  had  gone  into  the  mountain  with  those 
of  his  own  age  to  seek  wood,  and  there  he  found 
a  partridge's  nest ;  and  when  he  stretched  out  his 
hand  to  take  the  eggs  from  it,  a  venomous  ser- 
pent bit  him  from  the  middle  of  the  nest,  so  that 
he  called  out  for  help.  His  comrades  accord- 
ingly went  to  him  with  haste,  and  found  him 
lying  on  the  ground  like  one  dead.  Then  his 
relations  came  and  took  him  up  to  carry  him 

"4 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

back  to  the  city.  And  after  they  had  come  to 
that  place  where  the  Lord  Jesus  was  sitting  like 
a  king,  and  the  rest  of  the  boys  standing  round 
Him  like  His  servants,  the  boys  went  hastily 
forward  to  meet  liini  who  had  been  bitten  by  the 
serpent,  and  said  to  his  relations:  Come  and 
salute  the  king.  But  when  they  were  unwilhng 
to  go,  on  account  of  the  sorrow  in  which  they 
were,  the  boys  dragged  them  by  force  against 
their  will.  And  when  they  had  come  up  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  He  asked  them  why  they  were  carry- 
ing the  boy.  And  when  they  answered  that  a 
serpent  had  bitten  him,  the  Lord  Jesus  said  to 
the  boys :  Let  us  go  and  kill  that  serpent.  And 
the  parents  of  the  boy  asked  leave  to  go  away, 
because  their  son  was  in  the  agony  of  death ;  but 
the  boys  answered  them,  saying:  Did  you  not 
hear  the  king  saying:  Let  us  go  kill  the  ser- 
pent? and  will  you  not  obey  Him.f^  And  so, 
against  their  will,  the  couch  was  carried  back. 
And  when  they  came  to  the  nest,  the  Lord  Jesus 
said  to  the  boys:  Is  this  the  serpent's  place.'' 
They  said  that  it  was;  and  the  serpent,  at  the 
call  of  the  Lord,  came  forth  without  delay,  and 
submitted  itself  to  Him.  And  He  said  to  it: 
Go  away,  and  suck  out  all  the  poison  which  thou 

"5 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

hast  infused  Into  this  boy.  And  so  the  serpent 
crawled  to  the  boy,  and  sucked  out  all  its  poison. 
Then  the  Lord  Jesus  cursed  it,  and  immediately 
on  this  being  done  it  burst  asunder;  and  the 
Lord  Jesus  stroked  the  boy  with  His  hand,  and 
he  was  healed.  And  he  began  to  weep ;  but  Jesus 
said:  Do  not  weep,  for  by  and  by  thou  shalt  be 
llj  disciple.  And  this  is  Simon  the  Canaanite, 
of  whom  mention  is  made  in  the  Gospel.^ 

And  Joseph  sent  his  son  James  to  tie  up  wood 
and  bring  it  home,  and  the  child  Jesus  also  fol- 
lowed him.  And  when  James  was  gathering  the 
fagots,  a  viper  bit  James'  hand.  And  when  he 
was  racked  with  pain,  and  at  the  point  of  death, 
Jesus  came  near  and  blew  upon  the  bite ;  and  the 
pain  ceased  directly,  and  the  beast  burst,  and 
instantly  James  remained  safe  and  sound. 

"See  Matt.  lo,  4;  Mark  3,  18;  Luke  6,  15;  Acts  i,  13. 
The  crowning  of  Jesus  and  His  healing  of  Simon  is 
also  made  use  of  by  Longfellow,  1.  c. 


116 


SECTION  VI 

Jesus  in  the  house  of  Joseph  assists  him  in 

MAKING  A  throne,  AND  LENGTHENS  A  SHORT 
PIECE  OF  WOOD He  is  HONORED  AND  RE- 
SPECTED  BY  THE   FAMILY 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  chs.  38,  39;  Gospel  of 
Thomas,  ch.  13;  Gospel  of  Pseudo-Matthew,  chs. 
37,  42.) 

And  Joseph  used  to  go  about  through  the 
whole  city,  and  take  the  Lord  Jesus  with  him, 
when  people  sent  for  him  in  the  way  of  his  trade 
to  make  for  them  doors,  and  milk-pails,  and 
beds,  and  chests ;  and  the  Lord  Jesus  was  with 
him  wherever  he  went.  As  often,  therefore,  as 
Joseph  had  to  make  anything  a  cubit  or  a  span 
longer  or  shorter,  wider  or  narrower,  the  Lord 
Jesus  stretched  His  hand  towards  it ;  and  as  soon 
as  He  did  so,  it  became  such  as  Joseph  wished. 
Nor  was  it  necessary  for  him  to  make  anything 
with  his  own  hand,  for  Joseph  was  not  very  skil- 
ful in  carpentry. 

117 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Now,  on  a  certain  day,  the  king  of  Jeru- 
salem sent  for  him,  and  said :  I  wish  thee,  Joseph, 
to  make  for  me  a  throne  to  fit  that  place  in 
which  I  usually  sit.  Joseph  obeyed,  and  began 
the  work  immediately,  and  remained  in  the  palace 
two  j^ears,  until  he  finished  the  work  of  that 
throne.  And  when  he  had  it  carried  to  its  place, 
he  perceived  that  each  side  wanted  two  spans  of 
the  prescribed  measure.  And  the  king,  seeing 
this,  was  angry  with  Joseph;  and  Joseph,  being 
in  great  fear  of  the  king,  spent  the  night  with- 
out supper,  nor  did  he  taste  anything  at  all. 
Then,  being  asked  by  the  Lord  Jesus  why  he 
was  afraid,  Joseph  said:  Because  I  have  spoiled 
all  the  work  that  I  have  been  two  years  at.  And 
the  Lord  Jesus  said  to  him:  Fear  not,  and  do 
not  lose  heart;  but  do  thou  take  hold  of  one 
side  of  the  throne;  I  shall  take  the  other;  and 
we  shall  put  that  to  rights.  And  Joseph,  having 
done  as  the  Lord  Jesus  had  said  and  each  having 
drawn  by  his  own  side,  the  throne  was  put  to 
rights,  and  brought  to  the  exact  measure  of  the 
place.  And  those  that  stood  by  and  saw  this 
miracle  were  struck  with  astonishment,  and 
praised  God.  And  the  woods  used  in  that  throne 
were  of  those  which  are  celebrated  in  the  time  of 
Ii8 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

Solomon  the  son  of  David;  that  is,  woods  of 
many  and  various  kinds. 

And  His  father,  who  was  a  carpenter,  made  at 
that  time  ploughs  and  yokes.  And  a  certain 
rich  man  ordered  him  to  make  him  a  couch.  And 
one  of  what  is  called  the  cross  pieces  being  too 
short,  they  did  not  know  what  to  do.  The  child 
Jesus  said  to  His  father  Joseph:  Put  down  the 
two  pieces  of  wood,  and  make  them  even  in  the 
middle.  And  Joseph  did  as  the  child  said  to 
him.  And  Jesus  stood  at  the  other  end,  and 
took  hold  of  the  shorter  piece  of  wood,  and 
stretched  it,  and  made  it  equal  to  the  other. 
And  His  father  Joseph  saw  it,  and  wondered, 
and  embraced  the  child,  and  blessed  Him,  say- 
ing: Blessed  am  I,  because  God  has  given  me 
this  cliild. 

When  Joseph  came  to  sit  at  table  with  his 
sons  James,  Joseph,  Judah  and  Simon  and  his 
two  daughters,  Jesus  also  came  with  Mary  His 
mother  together  with  her  sister  Mary  of  Cleopas 
and  her  mother  Anna,  because  they  had  offered 
Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus  to  the  Lord.  And 
she  was  called  by  the  same  name,  Mary,  for  the 
consolation  of  her  parents.  And  when  they  had 
come  together,  Jesus  sanctified  and  blessed  them, 
119 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

and  He  was  the  first  to  begin  to  eat  and  drink; 
for  none  of  them  dared  to  eat  or  drink,  or  to 
sit  at  table,  or  to  break  bread,  until  He  had  sanc- 
tified them,  and  first  done  so.  And  if  He  hap- 
pened to  be  absent,  they  used  to  wait  until  He 
should  do  this.  And  when  He  did  not  wish  to 
come  for  refreshment,  neither  Joseph  nor  Mary, 
nor  the  sons  of  Joseph,  His  brothers,  came.  And, 
indeed,  these  brothers,  keeping  His  hfe  as  a 
lamp  before  their  eyes,  observed  Him,  and  feared 
Him.  And  when  Jesus  slept,  whether  by  day 
or  by  night,  the  brightness  of  God  shone  upon 
Him. 


120 


SECTION  VII 

Jesus  in  the  Temple — The  Feast  of  Pass- 

OVEE 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancj',  chs.  50-53;    Gospel  of 
Thomas,  ch.  19.) 

And  when  He  was  twelve  years  old  His  par- 
ents went  as  usual  to  Jerusalem  to  the  feast  of 
the  passover  with  their  fellow-travelers.  And 
after  the  passover  they  were  coming  home  again. 
And  while  they  were  coming  home,  the  child 
Jesus  went  back  to  Jerusalem.  And  His  parents 
thought  that  He  was  in  the  company.  And 
having  gone  one  day's  journey,  they  sought  for 
Him  among  their  relations ;  and  not  finding 
Him,  they  were  in  great  grief,  and  turned  back 
to  the  city  seeking  for  Him.  But  the  Lord 
Jesus  remained  in  the  temple  among  the  teach- 
ers and  elders  and  learned  men  of  the  sons  of 
Israel,  to  whom  He  put  various  questions  upon 
the  sciences,  and  gave  answers  in  His  turn.  For 
He  said  to  them:  Whose  son  is  the  Messiah? 
121 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

They  answered  Him :  The  son  of  David.  Where- 
fore then,  said  He,  does  he  in  the  spirit  call 
Him  his  lord,  when  he  says.  The  Lord  said  to 
my  lord,  sit  at  my  right  hand,  that  I  may  put 
thine  enemies  under  thy  footsteps?  Again  the 
chief  of  the  teachers  said  to  Him:  Hast  thou 
read  the  books?  Both  the  books,  said  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  the  things  contained  in  the  books. 
And  He  explained  the  books,  and  the  law,  and 
the  precepts,  and  the  statutes,  and  the  mysteries, 
which  are  contained  in  the  books  of  the  prophets 
— things  wliich  the  understanding  of  no  crea- 
ture attains  to.  That  teacher  therefore  said:  I 
hitherto  have  neither  attained  to  nor  heard  of 
such  knowledge:  Who,  pray,  do  you  think  that 
boy  will  be? 

And  a  philosopher  who  was  there  present,  a 
skilful  astronomer,  asked  the  Lord  Jesus  vv'hether 
He  had  studied  astronomy.  And  the  Lord  Jesus 
answered  him,  and  explained  the  number  of  the 
spheres,  and  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  their  natures 
and  operations;  their  opposition;  their  aspect, 
triangular,  square,  and  sextile;  their  course, 
direct  and  retrograde ;  the  twenty-fourths,  and 
sixtieths  of  twenty-fourths ;  and  other  things 
beyond  the  reach  of  reason. 

122 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

There  was  also  among  those  pliilosophers  one 
very  skilled  in  treating  of  natural  science,  and 
he  asked  the  Lord  Jesus  whether  He  had  studied 
medicine.  And  He,  in  reply,  explained  to  him 
physics  and  metaphysics,  hyperphysics  and  hy- 
pophysics,  and  powers  likewise  and  humors  of 
the  body,  and  the  effects  of  the  same;  also  the 
number  of  members  and  bones,  of  veins,  arteries, 
and  nerves ;  also  the  effect  of  heat  and  dryness, 
of  cold  and  moisture,  and  what  these  give  rise 
to ;  what  was  the  operation  of  the  soul  upon  the 
body,  and  its  perceptions  and  powers ;  what  was 
the  operation  of  the  faculty  of  speech,  of  anger, 
of  desire;  lastly,  their  conjunction  and  dis- 
junction, and  other  things  beyond  the  reach  of 
any  created  intellect.  Then  that  philosopher 
rose  up,  and  adored  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  said: 
O  Lord,  from  this  time  I  will  be  Thy  disciple  and 
slave. 

While  they  were  speaking  to  each  other  of 
these  and  other  things,  Mary  came,  after  hav- 
ing gone  about  seeking  Him  for  three  daji-s  along 
with  Joseph.  She  therefore,  seeing  Him  sitting 
among  the  teachers  asking  them  questions,  and 
answering  in  His  turn,  said  to  Him:  My  son, 
why  hast  Thou  treated  us  thus.?  Behold,  Thy 
123 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

father  and  I  have  sought  Thee  with  great 
trouble.  But  He  said:  Why  do  you  seek  Me? 
Do  you  not  know  that  I  ought  to  occupy  Myself 
in  My  Father's  house?  But  they  did  not  under- 
stand the  words  that  He  spoke  to  them.  Then 
those  teachers  asked  Mary  whether  He  were  her 
son;  and  when  she  signified  that  He  was,  they 
said:  Blessed  art  thou,  O  Mary,  who  hast 
brought  forth  such  a  son.  And  returning  with 
them  to  Nazareth,  He  obeyed  them  in  all  things. 
And  His  mother  kept  all  these  words  of  His 
in  her  heart.  And  the  Lord  Jesus  advanced  in 
stature,  and  in  wisdom,  and  in  favor  with  God 
and  man.^ 

*  In  the  above  narrative  we  have  again  a  parallel  to  the 
New  Testament,  with  the  exception  of  the  apocryphal 
additions  which  tell  us  of  all  and  everything  that  Jesu? 
already  knew.  A  supplement  to  this  apocryphal  chapter 
was  published  in  the  year  1203  under  the  Greek  title 
Svvsdf;  Kal  aitoKpidii  Uydov,  which  treats  of  the 
Trinit}',  divinity  of  the  Messiah,  of  the  Advent  of  the 
Messiah,  of  the  two  Messiahs,  duration  of  the  world,  etc. 


124 


SECTION  VIII 

Jesus  in  the  house  of  His  parents — Joseph's 

DEATH  AND  SPEECHES  OF   JeSUS  ON  THAT  OC- 
CASION— BuELVL  OF  Joseph 

(Arabic  Gospel  of  the  Infancy,  ch.  54;   Hist,  of  Joseph, 
chs.   11-28.) 

And  from  this  day  He  began  to  hide  His 
miracles  and  mysteries  and  secrets,  and  to  give 
attention  to  the  law,  until  He  completed  His 
thirtieth  year,  when  His  Father  publicly  declared 
Him  at  the  Jordan  b}'^  this  voice  sent  down  from 
heaven:  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased;  the  Holy  Spirit  being  present  in 
the  form  of  a  white  dove.  Now  Justus  and 
Simeon,  the  elder  sons  of  Joseph,  were  married, 
and  had  families  of  their  own.  Both  the  daugh- 
ters were  likewise  married,  and  lived  in  their 
own  houses.  So  there  remained  in  Joseph's 
house,  Judas  and  James  the  less  and  the  virgin 
mother.  Jesus  moreover  dwelt  along  with  them, 
not  otherwise  than  if  He  had  been  one  of  his 
125 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

sons.  But  He  passed  all  His  life  without  fault. 
Mary  He  called  His  mother,  and  Joseph  father, 
and  obeyed  them  in  all  that  they  said;  nor  did 
He  ever  contend  against  them,  but  complied 
with  their  commands,  as  other  men  whom  earth 
produces  are  wont  to  do;  nor  did  He  at  any 
time  arouse  their  anger,  or  give  any  v/ord  or 
answer  in  opposition  to  them.  On  the  contrary, 
He  cherished  them  with  great  love,  like  the 
pupil  of  His  eye.^ 

^  The  next  important  event  in  the  life  of  Jesus,  was 
Joseph's  death,  which  is  fully  described  in  the  History 
of  Joseph.  As  the  person  of  Joseph  does  not  concern 
us  here,  we  will  point  out  the  main  features  as  given  in 
the  History  of  Joseph.  The  latter's  death  no  doubt  took 
place  before  Jesus  was  twenty  years  of  age ;  for  accord- 
ing to  chapter  14  of  the  History  of  Joseph,  the  latter 
was  93  years  old  when  Christ  was  born;  according  to 
chapter  15  Joseph  was  11 1  years  old  when  he  died,  con- 
sequently his  death  must  have  taken  place  in  the  i8th 
year  of  the  Christian  era.  The  age  of  Joseph  is  given 
in  chapters  10,  14,  25,  29;  chapters  12,  13  contain  the  an- 
nouncement of  Joseph's  death  by  an  angel,  and  Joseph's 
prayer  in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem;  chapters  14-16  speak 
of  Joseph's  sickness  and  his  penitential  prayer,  in  which 
he  confesses  "  for  I  was  conceived  in  iniquity,  and  in 
sins  did  my  mother  desire  me"  (Ps.  li,  6),  a  confession 
Avhich  militates  against  the  ecclesiastical  notion  of  Jo- 
seph's sinlessness.  In  chapter  17  Joseph  confesses  to 
Jesus  the  mystery  of  His  conception  and  birth,  and  asks 

126 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

the  forgiveness  of  Jesus  for  not  having  understood  the 
mystery  of  His  birth.  Whilst  Joseph  is  dying  (chaps. 
18-24),  Jesus  speaks  to  Mary  of  the  necessity  of  death, 
to  which  all  are  subject,  even  Himself  according  to  the 
body.  At  the  prayer  of  Jesus,  Michael  and  Gabriel  take 
up  the  soul  of  Joseph,  and  no  one  was  aware  of  the 
latter's  death,  till  Jesus  made  it  known.  The  next  chap- 
ters (25-27)  speak  of  the  lamentation  for  Joseph,  of 
Jesus'  disposal  of  the  body  of  Joseph,  and  the  latter's 
burial.  Here  the  author  inserts  an  address  of  Jesus 
on  the  necessity  of  death  (chaps.  27,  28)  : 

And  Jesus  remembered  the  day  on  which  he  walked 
with  Him  into  Egypt,  and  that  extreme  trouble  which  he 
endured  on  His  account.  Accordingly,  He  bewailed  his 
death  for  a  long  time ;  and  lying  upon  his  body,  He 
said: 

O  Death  I  who  makest  all  knowledge  to  vanish  away, 
and  raisest  so  many  tears  and  lamentations,  surely  it  is 
God  My  Father  Himself  Who  hath  granted  thee  this 
power.  For  men  die  for  the  transgression  of  Adam 
and  his  wife  Eve,  and  Death  spares  not  so  much  as  one. 
Nevertheless,  nothing  happens  to  any  one,  or  is  brought 
upon  him,  without  the  command  of  My  Father.  There 
have  certainly  been  men  who  have  prolonged  their  life 
even  to  nine  hundred  years ;  but  they  died.  Yea,  though 
some  of  them  have  lived  longer,  they  have,  notwith- 
standing, succumbed  to  the  same  fate;  nor  has  any  one 
of  them  ever  said :  I  have  not  tasted  death.  For  the 
Lord  never  sends  the  same  punishment  more  than  once, 
since  it  hath  pleased  My  Father  to  bring  it  upon  men. 
And  at  the  very  moment  when  it,  going  forth,  beholds 
the  command  descending  to  it  from  heaven,  it  says :  I 
will  go  forth  against  that  man,  and  will  greatly  move 
him.    Then,  without  delay,  it  makes  an  onset  oil  the 

12/ 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

soul,  and  obtains  the  mastery  of  it,  doing  with  it  what- 
ever it  will.  For,  because  Adam  did  not  the  will  of 
My  Father,  but  transgressed  His  commandment,  the 
wrath  of  My  Father  was  kindled  against  him,  and  He 
doomed  him  to  death;  and  thus  it  was  that  death  came 
into  the  world.  But  if  Adam  had  observed  My  Fath- 
er's precepts,  death  would  never  have  fallen  to  his  lot. 
Think  you  not  that  I  can  ask  My  good  Father  to  send 
Me  a  chariot  of  fire,  which  may  take  up  the  body  of  My 
father  Joseph,  and  convey  it  to  the  place  of  rest,  in 
order  that  it  may  dwell  with  the  spirits?  But  on  ac- 
count of  the  transgression  of  Adam,  that  trouble  and 
violence  of  death  has  descended  upon  all  the  human 
race.  And  it  is  for  this  cause  that  I  must  die  according 
to  the  flesh,  for  My  work  which  I  have  created,  that 
they  may  obtain  grace. 

Having  thus  spoken,  He  embraced  the  body  of  His 
father  Joseph,  and  wept  over  it ;  and  they  opened  the 
door  of  the  tomb,  and  placed  his  body  in  it,  near  the 
body  of  his  father  Jacob. 


128 


SECTION  IX 

Jesus'  address  to  His  disciples  on  the  tjni- 
veksal,  necessity  of  death  and  on  the 
future  life 

(Hist,  of  Joseph,  chs.  30-32.) 

And  the  apostles,  when  they  heard  these  things 
from  the  Savior,  rose  up  joyfully  and  pros- 
trated themselves  in  honor  of  Him,  and  said: 
O  our  Savior,  show  us  Thy  grace.  Now  in- 
deed we  have  heard  the  word  of  life:  neverthe- 
less we  wonder,  O  our  Savior,  at  the  fate  of 
Enoch  and  Elias,  inasmuch  as  they  had  not  to 
undergo  death.  For  truly  they  dwell  in  the 
habitation  of  the  righteous  even  to  the  present 
day,  nor  have  their  bodies  seen  corruption.  Yet 
that  old  man  Joseph  the  carpenter  was,  never- 
theless. Thy  father  after  the  flesh.  And  Thou 
hast  ordered  us  to  go  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  holy  Gospel;  and  Thou  hast  said: 
Relate  to  them  the  death  of  My  father  Joseph, 
and  celebrate  to  him  with  annual  solemnity  a 
129 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

festival  and  sacred  day.  And  whosoever  shall 
lake  anything  away  from  this  narrative,  or  add 
anything  to  it,  commits  sin.  We  wonder  espe- 
cially that  Joseph,  even  from  that  day  on  which 
Thou  wast  born  in  Bethlehem,  called  Thee  his 
son  after  the  flesh.  Wherefore,  then,  didst 
Thou  not  make  him  immortal  as  well  as  them, 
and  Thou  sayest  that  he  was  righteous  and 
chosen  ? 

And  the  Savior  answered  and  said:  Indeed, 
the  prophecy  of  My  Father  upon  Adam,  for  his 
disobedience,  has  now  been  fulfilled.  And  all 
things  are  arranged  according  to  the  will  and 
pleasure  of  My  Father.  For  if  a  man  rejects 
the  commandment  of  God,  and  follows  the  works 
of  the  devil  by  committing  sin,  his  life  is  pro- 
longed ;  for  he  is  preserved  in  order  that  he  may 
perhaps  repent,  and  reflect  that  he  must  be  de- 
livered into  the  hands  of  death.  But  if  any  one 
has  been  zealous  of  good  works,  his  life  also  is 
prolonged,  that,  as  the  fame  of  his  old  age  in- 
creases, upright  men  may  imitate  him.  But 
when  you  see  a  man  whose  mind  is  prone  to 
anger,  assuredly  his  days  are  shortened;  for  it 
is  these  that  are  taken  away  in  the  flower  of 
their  age.  Every  prophecy,  therefore,  which 
130 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

My  Father  has  pronounced  concerning  the  sons 
of  men,  must  be  fulfilled  in  every  particular. 
But  with  reference  to  Enoch  and  Elias,  and  how 
they  remain  alive  to  this  day,  keeping  the  same 
bodies  with  which  they  were  born ;  and  as  to 
what  concerns  My  father  Joseph,  who  has  not 
been  allowed  as  well  as  they  to  remain  in  the 
body :  indeed,  though  a  man  live  in  the  world 
many  myriads  of  years,  nevertheless  at  some  time 
or  other  he  is  compelled  to  exchange  life  for 
death.  And  I  say  to  you,  O  my  brethren,  that 
they  also,  Enoch  and  Elias,  must  towards  the 
end  of  time  return  into  the  world  and  die — in 
the  day,  namely,  of  commotion,  of  terror,  of 
perplexity,  and  affliction.  For  Antichrist  will 
slay  four  bodies,  and  ■will  pour  out  their  blood 
like  water,  because  of  the  reproach  to  which  they 
shall  expose  him,  and  the  ignominy  with  which 
they,  in  their  lifetime,  shall  brand  liim  w^hen 
they  reveal  his  impiety. 

And  we  said:  O  our  Lord,  our  God  and 
Savior,  who  are  those  four  whom  Thou  hast 
said  Antichrist  will  cut  off  from  the  reproach 
they  bring  upon  him.''  The  Lord  answered: 
They  are  Enoch,  Ehas,  Shila,  and  Tabitha. 
When  we  heard  this  from  our  Savior,  we    re- 

131 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

joiced  and  exulted;  and  we  offered  all  glory  and 
thanksgiving  to  the  Lord  God,  and  our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ.  He  it  is  to  whom  is  due  glory, 
honor,  dignity,  dominion,  power,  and  praise, 
as  well  as  to  the  good  Father  with  Him,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  giveth  life,  henceforth  and 
in  all  time  for  evermore.     Amen. 

It  happened  one  day,  when  the  Savior,  our 
Master,  God  and  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  was 
sitting  along  with  His  disciples,  and  they  were 
all  assembled  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  that  He 
said  to  them:  O  My  brethren  and  friends,  sons 
of  the  Father  Who  has  chosen  you  from  all  men, 
you  know  that  I  have  often  told  you  that  I 
must  be  crucified,  and  must  die  for  the  salvation 
of  Adam  and  his  posterity,  and  that  I  shall  rise 
from  the  dead.  Now  I  shall  commit  to  you  the 
doctrine  of  the  holy  gospel  formerly  announced 
to  you,  that  you  ma}'^  declare  it  throughout  the 
whole  world.  And  I  shall  endow  you  with  the 
power  from  on  high,  and  fill  you  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  And  you  shall  declare  to  all  nations  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins.  For  a  single 
cup  of  water,  if  a  man  shall  find  it  in  the  world 
to  come,  is  greater  and  better  than  all  the  wealth 
of  this  whole  world.  And  as  much  ground  as 
132 


BIRTH  AND  CHILDHOOD 

one  foot  can  occupy  in  the  house  of  My  Father, 
is  greater  and  more  excellent  than  all  the  riches 
of  the  earth.  Yea,  a  single  hour  in  the  joyful 
dwelling  of  the  pious  is  more  blessed  and  more 
precious  than  a  thousand  years  among  sinners; 
inasmuch  as  their  weeping  and  lamentation  shall 
not  come  to  an  end,  and  their  tears  shall  not 
cease,  nor  shall  they  find  for  themselves  consola- 
tion and  repose  at  any  time  for  ever.  And  now, 
O  My  honored  members,  go  declare  to  all 
nations,  tell  them,  and  say  to  them:  verily  the 
Savior  diligently  inquires  into  the  inheritance 
which  is  due,  and  is  the  administrator  of  jus- 
tice. And  the  angels  will  cast  down  their 
enemies,  and  will  fight  for  them  in  the  day  of 
conflict.  And  He  will  examine  every  single  fool- 
ish and  idle  word  which  men  speak,  and  they 
shall  give  an  account  of  it.  For  as  no  one  shall 
escape  death,  so  also  the  works  of  every  man 
shall  be  laid  open  on  the  day  of  judgment, 
whether  they  have  been  good  or  evil.  Tell  them 
also  this  word  which  I  have  said  to  you  this  day :  • 
Let  not  the  strong  man  glory  in  his  strength,  t 
nor  the  rich  man  in  his  riches;  but  let  him  who 
wishes  to  glory,  glory  in  the  Lord. 


133 


PART  II 

NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 
AND  RESURRECTION  OF  JESUS 


135 


SECTION  I 
Judas  Iscauiot,   his  betrayal  and  end 

(According  to  a  Paris  and  Venice  MS.  in  Thilo,  Cod. 
Apocr.  Novi  Test.,  I,  p.  cxxix,  500.) 

Jesus  having  wrought  in  Judea  many  and 
great  and  extraordinary  miracles,  was  on  this 
account  hated  by  the  Jews.  Pilate  was  then  pro- 
curator in  Jerusalem,  and  Annas  and  Caiaphas 
high  priests.  And  some  of  the  Jews,  Judas, 
Levi,  Nephthalim,  Alexander,  Syrus,  and  many 
others  came  to  them,  speaking  against  Christ. 
And  the  chief  priests  sent  them  to  Pilate  to  tell 
him  the  same  things  also.  And  they  took  Jesus 
from  Caiaphas  to  Pilate,  the  Rom.an  procurator. 
It  was  early  on  the  day  of  preparation.  When 
Judas  saw  how  they  took  Jesus  before  Pilate,  he 
was  greatly  afraid,  and  he  condemned  himself 
on  account  of  his  base  advice.  (And  he  repented 
himself,  and  brought  again  the  thirty  pieces  of 
silver  to  the  chief  priests  and  elders,  saying: 
I  have  sinned,  in  that  I  have  betrayed  the  inno- 

137 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

cent  blood.  And  they  said,  What  is  that  to  us? 
see  thou  to  that.)  But  when  the  Jews  refused 
to  take  the  pieces  of  silver,  he  cast  them  down 
and  departed.  And  he  went  home  to  make  a 
halter  to  hang  himself,  and  he  found  liis  wife 
roasting  a  cock  on  the  coals.  And  he  says  to 
her:  Rise,  wife,  and  get  a  rope  ready  for  me; 
for  I  mean  to  hang  myself,  as  I  deserve.  And 
his  wife  said  to  him:  Why  do  you  speak  like 
that.?  And  Judas  said:  Know  in  truth  that  I 
unjustly  betrayed  my  Master  to  the  evil-doers, 
who  bring  Him  before  Pilate  to  kill  Him.  But 
He  will  rise  on  the  third  day;  and  woe  to  us. 
And  his  wife  says:  Do  not  speak  or  think  in 
that  way.  It  is  just  as  likely  as  that  this  cock 
roasting  on  the  coals  will  crow,  that  Jesus  will 
rise  as  you  say.  No  sooner  said  than  the  cock 
flapped  his  wings,  and  crew  thrice.  This  de- 
cided Judas,  and  he  immediately  made  the  hal- 
ter, and  hanged  himself.^ 

^  The  miracles  and  deeds  which  Jesus  performed 
excited  the  jealousy  of  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees. 
They  held  a  council  (John  ii,  47  seq.)  how  to  get  rid  of 
Him.  We  have  still  the  protocol  of  that  council,  which 
we  will  give  in  another  place.  As  from  that  day  forth 
they  took  counsel  together  for  to  put  Jesus  to  death,  the 
offer  of  Judas  to  betray  Him,  was  very  welcome  to  them. 

138 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

The  above  narrative  describes  the  end  of  the  traitor. 
According  to  another  tradition  current  among  the  early 
Christians,  Judas'  body  swelled  to  a  huge  size,  under 
some  hideous  attack  of  elephantiasis,  and  he  was  crushed 
by  a  passing  wagon.  Comp.  Oecumenius  on  Acts  i,  i8, 
on  the  authority  of  Papias. 


139 


SECTION  II 

The  Jews  accuse  Jesus  befoee  Pilate — Pi- 
late   SENDS   A    RUNNER    TO       FETCH     JeSUS ■ 

When    the    runner    meets    Jesus,    the 
standards  are  bent  down 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  ch.  I.) 

Annas,  Caiaphas,  Numes,  Dothaeus,  Gama- 
liel, Judas,  Levi,  Nephthalim,  Jai'rus,  and  the 
rest  of  the  Jews,  accuse  Jesus  before  Pilate  about 
many  things,  saying:  We  know  this  man  to  be 
the  son  of  Joseph  the  carpenter,  born  of  Mary; 
yet  He  says  that  He  is  the  Son  of  God,  and  a 
king ;  moreover  He  profanes  the  Sabbath  by  cur- 
ing all  sorts  of  diseases  through  evil  practices. 
We  therefore  entreat  you  to  question  Him.  Pi- 
late sends  a  runner  to  bring  Jesus  in  with  respect. 
And  the  runner  going  out,  and  recognizing 
Him,  adored  Him,  and  took  his  cloak  into  his 
hand,  and  spread  it  on  the  ground,  saying  to 
Him:  My  lord,  walk  on  this,  and  come  in,  for 
the  procurator  calls  Thee.  And  the  Jews  seeing; 
140 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

what  the  runner  had  done,  cried  out  against 
Pilate,  saying:  Why  hast  thou  ordered  Him  to 
come  in  by  a  runner,  and  not  by  a  crier?  for 
assuredly  the  runner,  when  he  saw  Him,  adored 
Him,  and  spread  his  doublet  on  the  ground,  and 
made  Him  walk  like  a  king. 

And  Pilate  having  called  the  runner,  says  to 
him:  Why  hast  thou  done  this,  and  spread  out 
thy  cloak  upon  the  earth,  and  made  Jesus  walk 
upon  it?  The  runner  says  to  him:  My  lord 
procurator,  when  thou  didst  send  me  to  Jerusa- 
lem to  Alexander,  I  saw  Him  sitting  upon  an 
ass,  and  the  sons  of  the  Hebrews  held  branches 
in  their  hands,  and  shouted;  and  others  spread 
their  clothes  under  Him,  saying,  Save,  now. 
Thou  who  art  in  the  highest ;  blessed  is  He  that 
cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

The  Jews  cry  out,  and  say  to  the  runner: 
The  sons  of  the  Hebrews  shouted  in  Hebrew; 
whence  then  hast  thou  the  Greek?  The  runner 
says  to  them :  I  asked  one  of  the  Jews,  and  said, 
What  is  it  they  are  shouting  in  Hebrew?  And 
he  interpreted  it  for  me.  Pilate  says  to  them: 
And  what  did  they  shout  in  Hebrew?  The  Jews 
say  to  him:  Hosanna  membrome  baruchamma 
ADONAi.  Pilate  says  to  them :  And  this  hosanna, 
141 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

etc.,  how  is  it  interpreted?  The  Jews  say  to 
him:  Save  now  in  the  highest;  blessed  is  He 
that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Pilate 
says  to  them:  If  you  bear  witness  to  the  words 
spoken  by  the  children,  in  what  has  the  runner 
done  wrong?  And  they  were  silent.  And  the 
procurator  says  to  the  runner :  Go  out,  and  bring 
Him  in  what  way  thou  wilt.  And  the  runner 
going  out,  did  in  the  same  manner  as  before, 
and  says  to  Jesus:  My  lord,  come  in;  the  pro- 
curator calleth  Thee. 

And  Jesus  going  in,  and  the  standard-bearers 
holding  their  standards,  the  tops  of  the  stand- 
ards were  bent  down,  and  adored  Jesus.  And 
the  Jews  seeing  the  bearing  of  the  standards, 
how  they  were  bent  down  and  adored  Jesus,  cried 
out  vehemently  against  the  standard-bearers. 
And  Pilate  says  to  the  Jews :  Do  you  not  wonder 
how  the  tops  of  the  standards  vrere  bent  down, 
and  adored  Jesus?  The  Jews  say  to  Pilate:  We 
saw  how  the  standard-bearers  bent  them  down, 
and  adored  Him.  And  the  procurator  having 
called  the  standard-bearers,  says  to  them:  Why 
have  you  done  this?  They  say  to  Pilate:  We 
are  Greeks  and  temple-slaves,  and  how  could  we 
142 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

adore  Him?  and  assuredly,  as  we  were  holding 
them  up,  the  tops  bent  down  of  their  own  ac- 
cord, and  adored  Him. 

Pilate  says  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  and 
the  elders  of  the  people:  Do  you  choose  for 
yourselves  men  strong  and  powerful,  and  let 
them  hold  up  the  standards,  and  let  us  see 
whether  they  will  bend  down  with  them.  And 
the  elders  of  the  Jews  picked  out  twelve  men 
powerful  and  strong,  and  made  them  hold  up 
the  standards  six  by  six;  and  they  were  placed 
in  front  of  the  procurator's  tribunal.  And 
Pilate  says  to  the  runner:  Take  Him  outside  of 
the  praetorium,  and  bring  Him  in  again  in  what- 
ever way  may  please  thee.  And  Jesus  and  the 
runner  went,  out  of  the  praetorium.  And  Pilate, 
summoning  those  who  had  formerly  held  up  the 
standards,  says  to  them:  I  have  sworn  by  the 
health  of  Ceesar,  that  if  the  standards  do  not 
bend  down  when  Jesus  comes  in,  I  will  cut  off 
your  heads.  And  the  procurator  ordered  Jesus 
to  come  in  the  second  time.  And  the  runner 
did  in  the  same  manner  as  before,  and  made 
many  entreaties  to  Jesus  to  walk  on  liis  cloak. 
And  He  walked  on  it,  and  went  in.    And  as  He 

143 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

went  in,  the  standards  were  again  bent  down, 
and  adored  Jesus.^ 

*As  Pilate  plays  such  an  important  part  in  the  tran- 
saction narrated  in  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  we  give  a 
few  notices  concerning  him.  He  is  said  to  have  been 
the  bastard  son  of  King  Tyrus  and  of  a  certain  Pyle, 
the  daughter  of  a  miller,  Atus,  whence  his  name  Pylatus. 
While  yet  a  boy,  he  killed  his  half-brother,  and  in  order 
to  get  rid  of  him,  Tyrus  sent  him  to  Rome  as  a  hostage. 
There  he  is  guilty  of  a  murder;  but  being  sent  to 
Pontus,  rises  into  notice  as  subduing  the  barbarous  tribes 
there,  receives  in  consequence  the  new  name  of  Pontius, 
and  is  sent  to  Judea.  Here  he  becomes  acquainted  with 
Herod;  his  cruelty  and  shrewdness  recommend  him, 
and  thus  he  makes  him  governor  of  Judea  and  Jerusa- 
lem. By  means  of  presents,  he  retains  his  position,  not 
by  the  grace  of  Herod,  but  by  the  grace  of  Tiberius,  who 
makes  him  a  Roman  officer.  The  friendship  between 
Herod  and  Pilate  comes  to  an  end  and  is  only  renewed 
again  when  Pilate  sent  Jesus  to  Herod.  (Comp.  Jaco- 
bus de  Voragine,  Legcnda  Aurea,  ch.  53,  ed.  Graesse, 
1846,  p.  231  seq.) 


tM 


SECTION  III 

Dream  of  Procla — Jesus  is  charged  by 
some  with  being  born  op  fornication, 
which  is  denied  by  twelve  men 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  ch.  2.) 

And  Pilate  seeing  this,  was  afraid,  and  sought 
to  go  away  from  the  tribunal;  but  when  he  was 
still  thinking  of  going  away,  his  wife,^  sent  to 
him,  saying:  Have  nothing  to  do  with  this  just 
man  for  many  things  have  I  suffered  on  His  ac- 
count this  night.  And  Pilate,  summoning  the 
Jews,  says  to  them :  You  know  that  my  wife  is  a 
worshipper  of  God,  and  prefers  to  adhere  to 
the  Jewish  religion  along  with  you.  They  say 
to  him:  Yes;  we  know.  Pilate  says  to  them: 
Behold,  my  wife  has  sent  to  me,  saying.  Have 
nothing  to  do  with  this  just  man,  for  many 
things  have  I  suffered  on  account  of  Him  this 

^  In  the  second  Greek  form  of  our  Gospel,  her  name  is 
given  as  Procla.  According  to  tradition  she  is  said 
to  have  become  a  Christian, 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

night.  And  the  Jews  answering,  say  unto  Pi- 
late :  Did  we  not  tell  thee  that  He  was  a  sorcerer  ? 
behold,  he  has  sent  a  dream  to  thy  wife. 

And  Pilate,  having  summoned  Jesus,  says  to 
Him:  What  do  these  witness  against  Thee? 
Say  est  Thou  nothing.?  And  Jesus  said:  Unless 
they  had  the  power,  they  would  say  nothing; 
for  every  one  has  the  power  of  his  own  mouth 
to  speak  both  good  and  evil.  They  shall  see  to 
it. 

And  the  elders  of  the  Jews  answered,  and  said 
to  Jesus:  What  shall  we  see?  first,  that  Thou 
was  born  of  fornication ;  ^  secondly,  that  Thy 
birth  in  Bethlehem  was  the  cause  of  the  murder 
of  the  infants ;  thirdly,  that.  Thy  father  Joseph 
and  Thy  mother  INIary  fled  into  Egypt  because 
they  had  no  confidence  in  the  people. 

Some  of  the  bystanders,  pious  men  of  the 
Jews,  say :  We  deny  that  He  was  born  of  forni- 
cation ;  for  we  know  that  Joseph  espoused  Mary, 
and  He  was  not  born  of  fornication.  Pilate  says 
to  the  Jews  who  said  that  He  was  of  fornication : 

*  This  charge  we  meet  with  first  in  the  second  century 
(comp.  Origen  against  Celsus,  1.  28,  32.  In  the  Toledoth 
Jeshu  (ed.  Wagenseil  in  Tela  ignea  Satanae,  Altdorf 
1681)  Jewish  blasphemy  as  contained  in  the  Talmud 
and  other  writings,  has  reached  its  climax. 

146 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

Tliis  story  of  yours  is  not  true,  because  they 
were  betrothed,  as  also  these  fellow-countrymen 
of  yours  say.  Annas  and  Caiaphas  say  to  Pi- 
late :  All  the  multitude  of  us  crj'^  out  that  He  was 
born  of  fornication,  and  are  not  believed;  these 
are  proselytes,  and  His  disciples.  And  Pilate, 
calling  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  says  to  them :  What 
are  proselj^tes .''  They  say  to  him:  They  are  by 
birth  children  of  the  Greeks,  and  have  now  be- 
come Jews.  And  those  that  said  that  He  was 
not  born  of  fornication,  viz. — Lazarus,  Asterius, 
Antonius,  James,  Amnes,  Zeras,  Samuel,  Isaac, 
Phinees,  Crispus,  Agrippas,  and  Judas — say: 
We  are  not  proselytes,  but  are  children  of  the 
Jews,  and  speak  of  the  truth ;  for  we  were  pres- 
ent at  the  betrothal  of  Joseph  and  Mary. 

And  Pilate,  calling  these  twelve  men  who  said 
that  He  was  not  born  of  fornication,  says  to 
them:  I  adjure  you  by  the  health  of  Csesar,  to 
tell  me  whether  it  be  true  that  you  say,  that  He 
v/as  not  born  of  fornication.  They  say  to  Pi- 
late: We  have  a  law  against  taking  oaths,  be- 
cause it  is  a  sin;  but  they  will  swear  by  the 
health  of  Caesar,  that  it  is  not  as  we  have  said, 
and  we  are  liable  to  death.  Pilate  says  to  Annas 
and  Caiaphas:  Have  you  nothing  to  answer  to 

147 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

this?  Annas  and  Caiaphas  say  to  Pilate:  These 
twelve  are  believed  when  they  say  that  He  was 
not  born  of  fornication;  all  the  multitude  of  us 
cry  out  that  He  was  born  of  fornication,  and  that 
He  is  a  sorcerer,  and  He  says  that  He  is  the 
Son  of  God  and  a  king,  and  we  are  not  beheved. 
And  Pilate  orders  all  the  multitude  to  go  out, 
except  the  twelve  men  who  said  that  He  was  not 
born  of  fornication,  and  he  ordered  Jesus  to  be 
separated  from  them.  And  Pilate  says  to  them: 
For  what  reason  do  they  wish  to  put  Him  to 
death?  They  say  to  him:  They  are  angry  be- 
cause He  cures  on  the  Sabbath.  Pilate  says :  For 
a  good  work  do  they  wish  to  put  Him  to  death? 
They  say  to  him:  Yes. 


148 


SECTION  IV 

Jesus  before  Pilate — New  chaeges  against 

Jesus 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.  3,  4.) 

And  Pilate,  filled  with  rage,  went  outside  of 
the  praetorium,  and  said  to  them:  I  take  the 
sun  to  witness  that  I  find  no  fault  in  this  man. 
The  Jews  answered  and  said  to  the  procurator: 
Unless  this  man  were  an  evil-doer,  we  should 
not  have  delivered  Him  to  thee.  And  Pilate 
said.  Do  you  take  Him,  and  judge  Him  accord- 
ing to  your  law.  The  Jews  said  to  Pilate:  It  is 
not  lawful  for  us  to  put  any  one  to  death. 
Pilate  said:  Has  God  said  that  you  are  not  to 
put  to  death,  but  that  I  am? 

And  Pilate  went  again  into  the  praetorium, 
and  spoke  to  Jesus  privately,  and  said  to  Him : 
Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?  Jesus  answered 
Pilate:  Dost  thou  say  this  of  thyself,  or  have 
others  said  it  to  thee  of  Me?  Pilate  answered 
149 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Jesus:  Am  I  also  a  Jew?  Thy  nation  and  the 
chief  priests  have  given  Thee  up  to  me.  What 
hast  Thou  done?  Jesus  answered:  My  kingdom 
is  not  of  this  world ;  for  if  My  kingdom  were  of 
this  world,  My  servants  would  fight  in  order  that 
I  should  not  be  given  up  to  the  Jews:  but  now 
My  kingdom  is  not  from  thence.  Pilate  said  to 
Him:  Art  Thou  then  a  king?  Jesus  answered 
him:  Thou  say  est  that  I  am  a  king.  Because 
for  this  have  I  been  born,  and  have  I  come,  in 
order  that  every  one  who  is  of  the  truth  might 
hear  My  voice.  Pilate  says  to  Him:  What  is 
truth  ?  Jesus  says  to  him :  Truth  is  from  heaven. 
Pilate  says:  Is  truth  not  upon  earth?  Jesus 
says  to  Pilate:  Thou  seest  how  those  who  speak 
the  truth  are  judged  by  those  that  have  the 
power  upon  earth. 

And  leaving  Jesus  within  the  prastorium,  Pi- 
late went  out  to  the  Jews,  and  said  to  them:  I 
find  no  fault  in  Him.  The  Jews  say  to  him:  He 
said,  I  can  destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three  days 
build  it.  Pilate  says:  Wliat  temple?  The  Jews 
say:  The  one  that  Solomon  built  in  forty-six 
years,  and  this  man  speaks  of  pulling  it  down 
and  building  it  in  three  days.  Pilate  says  to 
them:  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just 

150 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

man.     See  you  to  it.     The  Jews  say :  His  blood 
be  upon  us,  and  upon  our  cliildrcn. 

And  Pilate  having  summoned  the  elders  and 
priests  and  Levites,  said  to  them  privately:  Do 
not  do  so;  for  in  notliing,  though  you  accuse 
Him,  do  I  find  Him  deserving  of  death,  not  even 
about  the  healing  and  the  breaking  of  the  Sab- 
bath. The  priests  and  Levites  and  elders  say: 
Tell  us,  if  any  one  blaspheme  Cffisar,  is  he  de- 
serving of  death  or  not?  Pilate  says  to  them: 
He  deserves  to  die.  The  Jews  answered  him: 
How  much  more  is  he  who  has  blasphemed  God 
deserving  to  die! 

And  the  governor  ordered  the  Jews  to  go  out- 
side of  the  prastorium;  and  calling  Jesus,  said 
to  Him :  What  am  I  to  do  to  Thee  ?  Jesus  says 
to  Pilate:  As  it  has  been  given  thee.  Pilate 
says:  How  has  it  been  given?  Jesus  says: 
Moses  and  the  prophets  made  proclamation  of 
]\Iy  death  and  resurrection.  And  the  Jews,  hear- 
ing this,  say  to  Pilate :  Why  do  you  desire  any 
more  to  hear  blasphemy?  And  Pilate  said:  If 
this  speech  is  blasphemous,  do  you  take  Him, 
and  lead  Him  to  your  synagog  and  judge 
Him  according  to  your  law.  The  Jews  say  to . 
Pilate:  Our  law  holds,  If  a  man  have  sinned 

151 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

against  a  man,  he  is  worthy  to  receive  forty  less 
one;  but  he  who  has  blasphemed  against  God, 
to  be  stoned. 

Pilate  says  to  them:  Then  judge  Him  accord- 
ing to  your  law.  The  Jews  say  to  Pilate:  We 
wish  that  He  be  crucified.  Pilate  says  to  them: 
He  does  not  deserve  to  be  crucified. 

And  the  governor,  looking  upon  the  people 
of  the  Jews  standing  round,  saw  very  many  of 
the  Jews  weeping,  and  said:  All  the  multitude 
does  not  wish  Him  to  die.  The  elders  say  to 
Pilate:  And  for  this  reason  have  we  come — the 
whole  multitude — that  He  should  die.  Pilate 
said  to  the  Jews:  What  has  He  done  that  He 
should  die.?  They  say:  Because  He  said  that 
He  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  a  king. 


152 


SECTION  V 

NiCODEMUS    AND      SEVERAL,    OTHERS      SPEAK      IN 

FAVOR  OF  Jesus 
(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.  5-8.) 

But  one  Nicodemus,  a  Jew,  stood  before  the 
governor,  and  said:  I  entreat,  mercifully  allow 
me  to  say  a  few  words.  Pilate  says  to  him:  Say 
on.  Nicodemus  says:  I  said  to  the  elders  and 
the  priests  and  the  Levites,  and  to  all  the  multi- 
tude of  the  Jews,  in  the  synagog.  What  have 
you  to  do  with  this  man?  This  man  does  many 
wonders  and  signs,  Avhich  no  one  of  men  has  done 
or  can  do.  Let  Him  go,  and  do  not  devise  any 
evil  against  Him:  if  the  signs  which  He  does 
are  of  God,  they  will  stand ;  but  if  of  men,  they 
will  come  to  nothing.  For  Moses  also,  being 
sent  by  God  into  Egypt,  did  many  signs,  which 
God  told  him  to  do  before  Pharaoh  king  of 
Egypt.  And  the  sorcerers  Jamnes  and  Mam- 
bres  were  there  healing,  and  they  did,  they  also, 
the  signs  which  Moses  did,  but  not  all;  and  the 
Egyptians  deemed  them  as  gods,  Jamnes  and 

153 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Mambres.  And  since  the  signs  which  they  did 
were  not  of  God,  they  perished,  both  they  and 
those  who  beheved  in  them.  And  now  let  this 
man  go,  for  He  is  not  deserving  of  death. 

The  Jews  say  to  Nicodemus :  Thou  hast  be- 
come His  disciple,  and  takest  His  part.  Nico- 
demus says  to  them:  Has  the  governor  also  be- 
come His  disciple,  and  does  he  take  His  part.f* 
Has  not  Csesar  set  him  over  that  dignity.?  And 
the  Jews  were  raging  and  gnashing  with  their 
teeth  against  Nicodemus.  Pilate  says  to  them: 
Why  do  you  gnash  with  your  teeth  against  him, 
when  you  are  hearing  the  truth?  The  Jews  say 
to  Nicodemus :  Maj^st  thou  receive  His  truth,  and 
a  portion  with  Him!  Nicodemus  says:  Amen, 
amen,  amen ;  may  I  receive  it,  as  you  have  said ! 

And  of  the  Jews  a  certain  other  one,  starting 
up,  asks  the  governor  that  he  might  say  a  word. 
The  governor  says:  What  thou  wishest  to  say, 
say.  And  he  said:  For  thirty-eight  years  I  lay 
in  infirmity  in  my  bed  in  very  grievous  pain. 
And  at  the  coming  of  Jesus,  many  demoniacs, 
and  persons  held  down  by  divers  infirmities,  were 
healed  by  Him.  And  some  young  men  had  pity 
on  me ;  and  carrying  me  in  my  bed,  laid  me  be- 
fore Him.     And  Jesus,  seeing,  had  pity  on  me, 

154 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  said  the  word  to  me,  Take  up  thy  bed,  and 
walk.  And  immediately  I  was  made  whole;  I 
took  up  my  bed,  and  walked.  The  Jews  say  to 
Pilate:  Ask  him  what  was  the  day  on  which  he 
was  healed.  He  said:  The  Sabbath.  The  Jews 
say:  Have  we  not  so  informed  thee,  that  on  the 
Sabbath  He  heals,  and  drives  out  demons.'' 

And  a  certain  other  Jew  starting  up,  said:  I 
was  born  blind;  I  heard  a  voice,  and  saw  no 
man.  And  as  Jesus  was  passing  by,  I  cried  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  Have  pity  upon  me.  Thou  son 
of  David.  And  He  had  pity  upon  me,  and  laid 
His  hands  upon  my  eyes,  and  I  saw  immediately. 
And  another  Jew  starting  up,  said :  I  was  hunch- 
backed, and  He  straightened  me  with  a  word. 
And  another  said :  I  was  leprous,  and  He  healed 
me  with  a  word. 

And  also  a  certain  woman,  Veronica  by  name, 
from  afar  off  cried  out  to  the  governor:  I  was 
flowing  with  blood  for  twelve  years;  and  I 
touched  the  fringe  of  His  garment,  and  im- 
mediately the  flowing  of  my   blood    stopped.^ 

*  In  the  Gospels,  Matt,  ix,  20  seq. ;  Mark  v,.25  seq. ; 
Luke  viii,  43  seq.,  the  name  is  not  given.  Ambrose  Serm. 
xlvi,  thinks  that  the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood  was 
Martha,  the  sister  of  Lazarus. 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

The  Jews  say:  We  have  a  law,  that  a  woman 
does  not  come  to  bear  witness. 

And  certain  others,  a  multitude  of  men  and 
women,  cried  out,  saying:  That  man  is  a 
prophet,  and  the  demons  are  subject  to  Him. 
Pilate  says  to  those  who  said  the  demons  are  sub- 
ject to  Him :  And  your  masters,  why  are  they  not 
subject  to  Him?  They  say  to  Pilate :  We  do  not 
know.  And  others  said  to  Pilate:  He  raised  up 
dead  Lazarus  from  the  tomb  after  four  days.^ 
The  governor,  hearing  this,  said  trembling  to  all 
the  multitude  of  the  Jews :  Why  do  you  wish  to 
shed  innocent  blood.'' 

*In  the  Legenda  Aurea,  ch.  235  (ed.  Graesse,  p.  948), 
we  are  told  that  Lazarus  was  of  royal  descent,  his 
father's  name  was  Syrus,  that  of  his  mother  Emhasia. 
He  was  a  rich  property-owner  in  Jerusalem,  and  a  sol- 
dier. Together  with  his  sisters,  M,ary  Magdalene  and 
Martha,  he  was  baptized  by  Maximinus,  a  disciple  of  the 
Lord.  According  to  a  tradition  by  Epiphanius  (Hares, 
Ixvi,  34),  Lazarus  was  thirty  years  old  when  he  was 
raised  from  the  dead,  and  lived  thirty  years  more. 
Under  Emperor  Leo  VL  Philosophus,  Lazarus'  bones 
and  those  of  his  sister  Mary  Magdalene  were  found,  in 
the  year  890,  at  Cyprus,  and  brought  to  Constantinople. 


156 


SECTION  VI 

Barabbas  is  released  and  Jesus  sentenced 
to  be   crucified 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  ch.  9.) 

And  Pilate,  calling  Nicodemus  and  the  twelve 
men  who  said  that  He  was  not  born  of  fornica- 
tion, says  to  them:  What  am  I  to  do,  seeing 
that  there  is  a  sedition  among  the  people  ?  They 
say  to  him :  We  do  not  know ;  let  them  see  to  it. 
Again  Pilate,  calling  all  the  multitude  of  the 
Jews,  said:  You  know  that  you  have  a  custom 
during  the  day  of  unleavened  bread,  that  I 
should  release  to  you  one  that  is  bound.  I  have 
a  notable  one  bound  in  the  prison,  a  murderer 
who  is  called  Barabbas,  and  Jesus  who  is  called 
Christ,  in  whom  I  find  no  cause  of  death. 
Whom  do  you  wish  that  I  should  release  unto 
you?  And  they  all  cried  out,  saying:  Release 
unto  us  Barabbas.  Pilate  says  to  them:  What, 
then,  am  I  to  do  with  Jesus  who  is  called  Christ? 
They   all  say:  Let  Him  be   crucified.      Again 

157 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

the  Jews  said:  Thou  art  no  friend  of  Cassar's  if 
thou  release  this  man,  for  He  called  Himself  the 
Son  of  God,  and  a  king;  unless,  perhaps,  thou 
wishest  this  man  to  be  king,  and  not  Cassar. 

Then,  filled  with  fury,  Pilate  said  to  them: 
Always  has  your  nation  been  seditious,  and  al- 
ways have  you  been  opposed  to  those  who  were 
for  you.  The  Jews  answered:  Who  are  for  us? 
Pilate  says  to  them:  Your  God, — who  rescued 
you  from  the  hard  slavery  of  the  Egyptians,  and 
led  you  forth  out  of  Egypt  through  the  sea  as 
if  through  dry  land,  and  fed  you  in  the  desert 
with  manna  and  quail,  and  brought  water  to 
you  out  of  the  rock,  and  gave  you  to  drink,  and 
gave  you  a  law;  and  in  all  these  things  you 
provoked  your  God,  and  sought  for  yourselves  a 
god,  a  molten  calf.  And  you  exasperated  your 
God,  and  He  wished  to  slay  you;  and  Moses 
made  supplication  for  you,  that  ye  should  not 
die.     And  now  you  say  that  I  hate  the  king. 

And  rising  up  from  the  tribunal,  he  wished  to 
go  outside.  And  the  Jews  cried  out,  and  said 
to  him:  We  know  that  Caesar  is  king,  and  not 
Jesus.  For  the  Magi  also  presented  gifts  to 
Him  as  to  a  king ;  and  Herod,  hearing  from  the 
Magi  that  a  king  was  born,  wished  to  slay  Him. 

158 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

But  when  this  was  known,  His  father  Joseph 
took  Him  and  His  mother,  and  fled  into  Egypt ; 
and  Herod  hearing,  destroyed  the  infants  of  the 
Jews  which  were  born  in  Bethlehem. 

Pilate,  hearing  those  words,  was  afraid.  And 
silence  being  made  among  the  people,  who  were 
crjang  out,  Pilate  said:  This,  then,  is  He  whom 
Herod  sought.''  They  say  to  him:  It  is  He. 
And  taking  water,  Pilate  washed  his  hands  in 
presence  of  the  people,  saying:  I  am  innocent 
of  the  blood  of  this  just  man;  see  ye  to  it. 
Again  the  Jews  cried  out,  saying:  His  blood  be 
upon  us,  and  upon  our  children. 

Then  Pilate  ordered  the  curtain  of  the  tribunal 
to  be  loosened,  and  said  to  Jesus:  Thine  own 
nation  have  brought  charges  against  Thee  as  a 
king;  and  therefore  I  have  sentenced  Thee  first 
to  be  scourged  on  account  of  the  statutes  of  the 
emperors,  and  then  to  be  crucified  on  a  cross. 


159 


SECTION  VII 

The  crucifixion,  death  and  burial  of  Jesus 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.  10-12.) 

And  when  Jesus  was  scourged,  he  delivered 
Hhn  to  the  Jews  to  be  crucified,  and  two  robbers 
with  Him;  one  by  name  Dismas,  and  the  other 
by  name  Gestas.  And  when  they  came  to  the 
place,  they  stripped  Him  of  His  garments,  and 
girt  Him  about  with  a  linen  cloth,  and  put  a 
crown  of  thorns  upon  His  head.  Likewise  also 
they  hanged  the  two  robbers  with  Him,  Dismas 
on  the  right  and  Gestas  on  the  left.  And  Jesus 
said:  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do.  And  the  soldiers  parted  His  gar- 
ments among  them.  And  the  people  stood  wait- 
ing; and  their  chief  priests  and  judges  mocked 
Him,  saying  among  themselves:  He  saved 
others,  now  let  Him  save  Himself;  if  He  is  the 
Son  of  God,  let  Him  come  down  from  the  cross. 
And  the  soldiers  mocked  Him,  falling  prostrate 
before  Him,  and  offering  vinegar  with  gall,  and 
160 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

saying:  If  Thou  art  the  King  of  the  Jews,  set 
Thyself  free. 

And  Pilate,  after  the  sentence,  ordered  a  title 
to  be  written  in  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin 
letters,  according  to  what  the  Jews  said:  This 
is  the  King  of  the  Jews. 

And  one  of  the  robbers  who  were  hanged,  by 
name  Gestas,  said  to  Him :  If  Thou  be  the  Christ, 
free  Thyself  and  us.  And  Dismas  answering, 
rebuked  him,  saying:  Dost  not  even  thou  fear 
God,  who  art  in  this  condemnation?  for  we  justly 
and  deservedly  have  received  those  tilings  which 
we  endure;  but  He  has  done  no  evil.  And  he 
kept  saying  to  Jesus:  Remember  me.  Lord,  in 
Thy  kingdom.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Verily 
I  say  unto  thee,  that  to-day  shalt  thou  be  with 
Me  in  paradise. 

And  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  there 
was  darkness  over  the  whole  earth;  and  the  sun 
was  obscured,  and  the  veil  of  the  temple  was 
rent  in  the  midst.  And  crying  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  He  said:  Father,  into  Thy  hands  I  com- 
mend My  spirit.  And  thus  saying,  He  gave 
up  the  ghost.  And  the  centurion,  seeing  what 
was  done,  glorified  God,  saying:  This  was  a  just 
man.  And  all  the  people  who  were  present  at 
i6i 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

that  spectacle,  seeing  what  was  done,  beating 
their  breasts,  returned. 

And  the  centurion  having  perceived  all  these 
so  great  miracles,  went  away  and  reported  them 
to  Pilate.  And  when  he  heard,  he  wondered 
and  was  astonished,  and  from  his  fear  and  grief 
would  neither  eat  nor  drink  that  day.  And  he  sent 
notice,  and  all  the  Sanhedrin  came  to  him  as  soon 
as  the  darkness  was  past ;  and  he  said  to  the  peo- 
ple: You  know  how  the  sun  has  been  darkened; 
you  know  how  the  curtain  has  been  rent.  Cer- 
tainly I  did  well  in  being  by  no  means  willing 
to  put  to  death  the  good  man.  And  the  male- 
factors said  to  Pilate:  Tliis  darkness  is  an 
eclipse  of  the  sun,  such  as  has  happened  also  at 
other  times.  Then  they  say  to  him:  We  hold 
the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  to-morrow;  and 
we  entreat  thee,  since  the  crucified  are  still 
breathing,  that  their  bones  be  broken,  and  that 
they  be  brought  down.  Pilate  said:  It  shall  be 
8o.  He  therefore  sent  soldiers,  and  they  found 
the  two  robbers  yet  breathing,  and  they  broke 
their  legs;  but  finding  Jesus  dead,  they  did  not 
touch  Him  at  all,  except  that  a  soldier  speared 
Him  in  the  right  side,  and  immediately  there 
came  forth  blood  and  water. 
l6^ 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

And  His  acquaintances  also  stood  afar  off,  and 
the  women  who  had  followed  Him  from  Galilee, 
seeing  these  things.  And  lo,  a  certain  man,  by 
name  Joseph,  holding  office,  a  man  good  and 
just,  who  did  not  consent  to  their  counsels  nor 
their  deeds,  from  Arimath<Ta,  a  city  of  the  Jews, 
waiting,  he  also,  for  the  kingdom  of  God,  went 
to  Pilate  and  begged  the  body  of  Jesus.  And 
taking  Him  down  from  the  cross,  he  wrapped 
Him  in  clean  linen,  and  laid  Him  in  his  own  new 
tomb,  in  which  no  one  had  been  laid. 

And  the  Jews,  hearing  that  Joseph  had 
begged  the  body  of  Jesus,  sought  for  Him; 
and  those  twelve  men  who  had  said  that  He  was 
not  born  of  fornication,  and  Nicodemus,  and 
many  others,  who  had  stood  before  Pilate  and 
declared  His  good  works.  And  all  of  them  be- 
ing hid,  Nicodemus  alone  appeared  to  them,  be- 
cause he  was  a  chief  man  of  the  Jews;  and  he 
says  to  them:  How  have  ye  come  into  the  syna- 
gog?  The  Jews  say  to  him:  And  thou,  how 
hast  thou  come  into  the  synagog,  seeing  that 
thou  consentest  with  Him.''  May  His  portion  be 
with  thee  in  the  world  to  come !  Nicodemus  said : 
Amen,  amen,  amen.  Likewise  also  Joseph,  com- 
ing forth,  said  to  them:  Why  are  you  enraged 
163 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

against  me  because  I  begged  the  body  of  Jesus? 
Lo,  I  have  laid  Him  in  my  own  new  tomb,  wrap- 
ping Him  in  clean  linen ;  and  I  have  rolled  a  stone 
to  the  door  of  the  tomb.  And  you  have  acted  not 
well  against  the  just  man,  because  you  have  not 
repented  of  crucifying  Him,  but  also  have  pierced 
Him  with  a  spear.  And  the  Jews  seized  Joseph, 
and  ordered  him  to  be  secured  until  the  first  day 
of  the  week,  and  said  to  him :  Know  that  the  time 
does  not  allow  us  to  do  anything  against  thee, 
because  the  Sabbath  is  drawing;  and  know  that 
thou  shalt  not  be  deemed  worthy  of  burial,  but 
we  shaD  give  thy  flesh  to  the  birds  of  the  air. 
Joseph  says  to  them :  These  are  the  words  of  the 
arrogant  Goliath,  who  reproached  the  living  God 
and  holy  David.  For  God  has  said  by  the 
prophet:  Vengeance  is  Mine,  and  I  will  repay 
saith  the  Lord.  And  now  he  that  is  uncircum- 
cised  in  flesh,  but  circumcised  in  heart,  has  taken 
water,  and  washed  his  hands  in  the  face  of  the 
sun,  saying,  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  man;  see  ye  to  it.  And  you  answered  and 
said  to  Pilate,  His  blood  be  upon  us,  and  upon 
our  children.  And  now  I  am  afraid  lest  the  wrath 
of  God  come  upon  you,  and  upon  your  children, 
as  you  have  said.  And  the  Jews,  hearing  these 
164 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

words,  were  embittered  in  their  souls,  and  seized 
Joseph,  and  locked  him  into  a  room  where  there 
was  no  window ;  and  guards  were  stationed  at  the 
door,  and  they  sealed  the  door  where  Joseph  was 
locked  in. 

And  on  the  Sabbath,  the  rulers  of  the  syna- 
gog,  and  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  made  a 
decree  that  all  should  be  found  in  the  synagog 
on  the  first  day  of  the  week.  And  rising  up  early 
all  the  multitude  in  the  synagog  counseled  by 
what  death  they  should  slay  him.  And  when  the 
Sanhcdrin  was  sitting,  thcj^  ordered  him  to  be 
brought  with  much  indignity.  And  having 
opened  the  door,  they  found  him  not.  And  all 
the  people  were  surprised,  and  struck  with  dis- 
may, because  they  found  the  seals  unbroken,  and 
because  Caiaphas  had  the  key.  And  they  no 
longer  dared  to  lay  hands  upon  those  who  had 
spoken  before  Pilate  in  Jesus'  behalf. 


165 


SECTION  VIII 

News  of  Jesus'  resurrection 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.   13,   15,   16.) 

And  while  tliey  were  still  sitting  in  the  syna- 
gog  and  wondering  about  Joseph,  there  come 
some  of  the  guard  whom  the  Jews  had  begged 
of  Pilate  to  guard  the  tomb  of  Jesus,  that  His 
disciples  might  not  come  and  steal  Him.  And 
they  reported  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagog, 
and  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  what  had  hap- 
pened: how  there  had  been  a  great  earthquake; 
and  we  saw  an  angel  coming  down  from  heaven, 
and  he  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the  mouth  of 
the  tomb,  and  sat  upon  it ;  and  he  shone  like 
snow,  and  like  lightning — and  we  were  very  much 
afraid,  and  lay  like  dead  men ;  and  we  heard  the 
voice  of  the  angel  saying  to  the  women  who  re- 
mained beside  the  tomb,  Be  not  afraid,  for  I 
know  that  you  seek  Jesus  who  was  crucified.  He 
is  not  here:  He  is  risen,  as  He  said.  Come,  see 
the  place  where  the  Lord  lay:  and  go  quickly, 
166 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  tell  His  disciples  that  He  is  risen  from  the 
dead,  and  is  in  Galilee.  The  Jews  say :  To  what 
women  did  he  speak  ?  The  men  of  the  guard  say : 
We  do  not  know  who  they  were.  The  Jews  say : 
And  wherefore  did  you  not  lay  hold  of  them? 
The  men  of  the  guard  say:  We  were  like  dead 
men  from  fear,  not  expecting  to  see  the  light  of 
day,  and  how  could  we  lay  hold  of  them?  The 
Jews  say:  As  the  Lord  liveth,  we  do  not  believe 
you.  The  men  of  the  guard  say :  You  have  seen 
so  great  miracles  in  the  case  of  this  man,  and 
have  not  believed;  and  how  can  you  believe  us? 
And  assuredly  you  have  done  well  to  swear  that 
the  Lord  liveth,  for  indeed  He  does  live.  Again, 
the  men  of  the  guard  said :  We  have  heard  that 
you  have  locked  up  the  man  that  begged  the  body 
of  Jesus,  and  put  a  seal  on  the  door;  and  that 
you  have  opened  it,  and  not  found  him.  Give 
us  Joseph  and  we  shall  give  you  Jesus.  The 
Jews  say :  Joseph  has  gone  to  his  own  city.  The 
men  of  the  guard  say  to  them:  And  Jesus  has 
gone  to  Galilee,  as  we  heard  from  the  angel  who 
rolled  away  the  stone.  And  when  the  Jews  heard 
these  words,  they  became  afraid  and  said:  We 
must  take  care  lest  this  story  be  heard,  and  all 
incline  to  Jesus.  And  the  Jews  called  a  council,, 
167 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

and  paid  down  a  considerable  sum  of  money,  and 
gave  it  to  the  soldiers,  saying:  Say,  while  we 
slept.  His  disciples  came  by  night  and  stole  Him. 
And  if  this  come  to  the  ears  of  the  procurator, 
we  shall  persuade  him,  and  keep  you  out  of 
trouble.  And  they  took  the  m^oney,  and  said  as 
they  had  been  instructed.  And  this  saying  has 
been  spread  abroad  among  the  Jews  even  to  tliis 
day. 

And  they  found  Joseph  in  Arlmathaea,  and  no 
one  dared  to  lay  hands  on  him.  And  they  re- 
ported to  the  elders,  and  the  priests,  and  the  Le- 
vites:  We  have  gone  round  to  every  district  of 
Israel,  and  have  not  found  Jesus ;  but  Joseph  we 
have  found  in  Arimathsea.  And  hearing  about 
Joseph,  they  were  glad,  and  gave  glory  to  the 
God  of  Israel.  And  the  rulers  of  the  synagog 
and  the  priests  and  the  Levites,  having  held  a 
council  as  to  the  manner  in  which  they  should 
meet  with  Joseph,  took  a  piece  of  paper,  and 
wrote  to  Joseph  as  follows : — Peace  to  thee !  We 
know  that  we  have  sinned  against  God,  and 
against  thee;  and  we  have  prayed  to  the  God 
of  Israel,  that  thou  shouldst  deign  to  come  to 
thy  fathers,  and  to  thy  children,  because  we  have 
all  been  grieved.  For  having  opened  the  door, 
i68 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

we  did  not  find  thee.  And  we  know  that  we  have 
counseled  evil  council  against  thee ;  but  God,  see- 
ing that  our  designs  against  thee  were  unjust, 
has  delivered  thee  out  of  our  hands.  But  come 
to  us,  for  thou  art  the  honor  of  our  people. 

And  they  chose  from  all  Israel  seven  men, 
friends  of  Joseph,  whom  also  Joseph  himself  was 
acquainted  with;  and  the  rulers  of  the  synagog, 
and  the  priests  and  the  Levitcs,  say  to  them: 
Take  notice,  if  after  receiving  our  letter,  he  read 
it,  know  that  he  will  come  with  you  to  us ;  but  if 
he  do  not  read  it,  know  that  he  is  ill-disposed 
towards  us.  And  having  saluted  him  in  peace, 
return  to  us.  And  having  blessed  the  men,  they 
dismissed  them.  And  the  men  came  to  Joseph, 
and  did  reverence  to  him,  and  said  to  him :  Peace 
to  thee !  And  he  said :  Peace  to  you,  and  to  all 
the  people  of  Israel !  And  they  gave  him  the  roll 
of  the  letter.  And  Joseph  took  and  read  it,  and 
rolled  up  the  letter,  and  blessed  God,  and  said: 
Blessed  be  the  Lord  God,  who  hath  delivered 
Israel  from  shedding  innocent  blood ;  and 
blessed  be  God,  who  sent  His  angel,  and  covered 
me  under  his  wings.  And  he  kissed  them,  and 
set  a  table  for  them ;  and  they  ate  and  drank,  and 
slept  there. 

169 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

And  they  rose  in  the  morning;  and  Joseph 
saddled  his  ass,  and  traveled  with  them,  and 
they  came  into  the  holy  city  Jerusalem.  And 
there  met  them  all  the  people,  crying  out,  and 
saying:  Peace  be  in  thy  coming  in,  father 
Joseph!  To  whom  he  answered  and  said:  The 
peace  of  the  Lord  be  upon  all  the  people !  And 
they  all  kissed  him.  And  they  prayed  with 
Joseph,  and  were  terrified  at  the  sight  of  him. 
And  Nicodemus  took  him  into  liis  house,  and 
made  a  great  feast,  and  called  Annas  and  Caia- 
phas,  and  the  elders  and  cliief  priests  and  Levites, 
to  his  house.  And  making  merry,  and  eating 
and  drinking  with  Joseph,  they  blessed  God,  and 
went  every  one  to  his  own  house.  And  Joseph 
remained  in  the  house  of  Nicodemus. 

And  on  the  next  day,  wliich  is  the  prepara- 
tion, the  priest  and  the  rulers  of  the  synagog 
and  the  Levites  rose  early,  and  came  to  the  house 
of  Nicodemus.  And  Nicodemus  met  them,  and 
said  to  them:  Peace  to  you!  And  they  said  to 
him :  Peace  to  thee  and  Joseph,  and  to  thy  house 
and  Joseph's  house!  And  Nicodemus  brought 
them  into  his  house.  And  the  council  sat;  and 
Joseph  sat  between  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  and 
no  one  dared  to  say  a  word.  And  Joseph  said 
170 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

to  them:  Why  have  you  called  me?  And  they 
made  signs  with  their  eyes  to  Nicodemus,  that  he 
should  speak  with  Joseph.  And  Nicodemus, 
opening  his  mouth,  said:  Father  Joseph,  thou 
knowest  that  the  reverend  teachers,  priests,  and 
Levites  seek  to  hear  a  word  from  thee.  And 
Joseph  said:  Ask.  And  Annas  and  Caiaphas, 
taking  up  the  law,  adjured  Joseph,  saying: 
Give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel,  and  give  con- 
fession to  Him,  that  thou  wilt  not  hide  any  word 
from  us.  And  they  said  to  him :  With  grief  were 
we  grieved  that  thou  didst  beg  the  body  of 
Jesus,  and  wrap  it  in  clean  linen,  and  lay  it  in 
a  tomb.  Therefore  we  shut  thee  up  in  a  house 
where  there  was  no  window,  and  put  a  lock  and 
a  seal  on  the  gate;  and  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week  we  opened  the  gates,  and  found  thee  not. 
We  were  therefore  exceedingly  grieved,  and  as- 
tonishment came  over  all  the  people  of  God.  And 
therefore  hast  thou  been  sent  for;  and  now  tell 
us  what  has  happened. 

Then  said  Joseph :  On  the  day  of  the  Prepara- 
tion, about  the  tenth  hour,  you  shut  me  in,  and  I 
remained  there  the  whole  Sabbath  in  full.  And 
when  midnight  came,  as  I  was  standing  and  pray- 
ing, the  house  where  you  shut  me  in  was  hung 

171 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

up  by  the  four  corners,  and  there  was  a  flashing 
of  light  in  mine  eyes.  And  I  fell  to  the  ground 
trembling.  Then  some  one  lifted  me  up  from  the 
place  where  I  had  fallen,  and  poured  over  me  an 
abundance  of  water  from  the  head  even  to  the 
feet,  and  put  round  my  nostrils  the  odor  of  a 
wonderful  ointment,  and  rubbed  my  face  with  the 
water  itself,  as  if  washing  me,  and  kissed  me, 
and  said  to  me,  Joseph,  fear  not ;  but  open  thine 
eyes,  and  see  who  it  is  that  speaks  to  thee.  And 
looking,  I  saw  Jesus ;  and  being  terrified,  I 
thought  it  was  a  phantom.  And  with  prayer  and 
the  commandments  I  spoke  to  Him,  and  He  spoke 
with  me.  And  I  sa,id  to  Him:  Art  Thou  Rabbi 
Elias  ?  And  He  said  to  me :  I  am  not  Elias.  And 
I  said :  Who  art  Thou,  my  lord  ?  And  He  said  to 
me :  I  am  Jesus,  whose  body  thou  didst  beg  from 
Pilate,  and  wrap  in  clean  linen ;  and  thou  didst 
lay  a  napkin  on  My  face,  and  didst  lay  INIe  in  thy 
new  tomb,  and  roll  a  stone  to  the  door  of  the 
tomb.  Then  I  said  to  Him  that  was  speaking  to 
me :  Show  me,  Lord,  where  I  laid  Thee.  And  He 
led  me,  and  showed  me  the  place  where  I  laid  Him, 
and  the  linen  which  I  had  put  on  Him,  and  the 
napkin  which  I  had  wrapped  upon  His  face; 
and  I  knew  that  it  was  Jesus.  And  He  took  hold 
172 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  me  with  His  hand,  and  put  me  in  the  midst  of 
my  house  though  the  gates  were  shut,  and  put 
me  in  my  bed,  and  said  to  me :  Peace  to  thee ! 
And  He  kissed  me,  and  said  to  me:  For  forty 
days  go  not  out  of  thy  house;  for,  lo,  I  go  to 
]My  brethren  into  Galilee. 

And  the  rulers  of  the  synagog,  and  the 
priests  and  the  Levites,  hearing  these  words  from 
Joseph,  became  as  it  were  dead,  and  fell  to 
the  ground,  and  fasted  until  the  ninth  hour.  And 
Joseph  and  Nicodcmus  entreated  them,  saying: 
Arise  and  stand  upon  your  feet,  and  taste  bread 
and  comfort  your  souls,  seeing  that  to-morrow 
is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord.  And  they  arose,  and 
entreated  the  Lord,  and  ate  and  drank,  and  went 
every  man  to  liis  own  house. 

An(^  on  the  Sabbath  the  teachers  and  doctors 
sat  questioning  each  other,  and  saying:  What  is 
tliis  wrath  that  has  come  upon  us?  because  we 
know  His  father  and  mother.  Levi  the  teacher 
said:  I  know  that  His  parents  fear  God,  and 
do  not  withdraw  themselves  from  the  prayers 
and  give  the  tithes  thrice  a  year.  And 
when  Jesus  was  bom.  His  parents  brought 
Him  to  this  place,  and  gaA^e  sacrifices  and  burnt 
offerings  to  God.     And  when  the  great  teacher 

173 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Symeon  took  Him  into  his  arms,  he  said,  Now 
Thou  sendest  away  Thy  servant,  Lord,  accord- 
ing to  Thy  word  to  peace;  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  Thy  salvation,  which  Thou  hast  prepared 
before  the  face  of  all  the  peoples :  a  light  for  the 
revelation  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  Thy 
people,  Israel.  And  Symeon  blessed  them,  and 
said  to  INIary  His  mother:  behold.  He  is  set  for 
the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel,  and 
for  a  sign  spoken  against;  and  a  sword  shall  go 
through  thy  soul,  in  order  that  the  reasoning  of 
many  hearts  may  be  revealed.  They  say  to  the 
teacher  Levi:  How  knowest  thou  these  things.? 
Levi  says  to  them :  Do  you  not  know  that  from 
Him  I  learned  the  law?  The  Sanliedrin  say  to 
him:  We  wish  to  see  thy  father.  And  they  sent 
for  his  father.  And  they  asked  him,  and  he  said 
to  them:  Why  have  you  not  believed  my  son.'* 
The  blessed  and  just  Symeon  taught  him  the  law. 
The  Sanhedrin  said  to  him :  Is  the  word  that  you 
have  said  true.'*    And  he  said,  It  is  true. 


174 


SECTION  IX 
Testimony  to  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  and 

TO  HIS  WORK  IN  HaDES 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.  17-28.) 

Joseph  says :  And  why  do  you  wonder  that 
Jesus  has  risen?  But  it  is  wonderful  that  He 
has  not  risen  alone,  but  that  He  has  also  raised 
many  others  of  the  dead,  who  have  appeared  in 
Jerusalem  to  many.  And  if  you  do  not  know 
the  others,  Sjmieon  at  least,  who  received  Jesus, 
and  his  two  sons  whom  He  has  raised  up — them 
at  least  you  know.  For  we  buried  them  not  long 
ago;  but  now  their  tombs  are  seen  open  and 
empty,  and  they  are  alive,  and  dwelling  in  Ari- 
mathaea.  They  therefore  sent  men,  and  they 
found  their  tombs  open  and  empty.  Joseph  says : 
Let  us  go  to  ArimathjEa  and  find  them. 

Then  rose  up  the  chief  priests  Annas  and  Caia- 
phas,  and  Joseph,  and  Nicodemus,  and  Gamaliel, 
and  others  with  them,  and  went  away  to  Arima- 
thsea,  and  found  those  whom  Joseph  spoke  of. 

1.^5 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

They  made  prayer,  therefore,  and  sahited  each 
other.  Then  they  came  with  them  to  Jerusalem, 
and  brought  them  into  the  synagog,  and  se- 
cured the  doors,  and  placed  in  the  midst  the  old 
covenant  of  the  Jews ;  and  the  chief  priests  said 
to  them:  We  wish  you  to  swear  by  the  God  of 
Israel  and  Adonai,  and  so  that  you  tell  the  truth, 
how  you  have  risen,  and  who  has  raised  you  from 
the  dead. 

The  men  who  had  risen  having  heard  this, 
made  upon  their  faces  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
said  to  the  cliief  priests:  Give  us  paper  and 
ink  and  pen.  These  therefore  they  brought. 
And  sitting  down,  they  wrote  thus : — 

O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  resurrection  and  the 
life  of  the  world,  grant  us  grace  that  we  may 
give  an  account  of  Thy  resurrection,  and  Thy 
miracles  which  Thou  didst  in  Hades.  We  then 
were  in  Hades,  with  all  who  had  fallen  asleep  since 
the  beginning  of  the  world.  And  at  the  hour  of 
midnight  there  rose  a  light  as  if  of  the  sun,  and 
shone  into  these  dark  regions;  and  we  were  all 
lighted  up,  and  saw  each  other.  And  straight- 
way our  father  Abraham  was  united  with  the 
patriarchs  and  the  prophets,  and  at  the  same  time 
they  were  filled  with  joy,  and  said  to  each  other: 
176 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

Tliis  light  is  from  a  great  source  of  light.  The 
prophet  Hesaias,  who  was  there  present,  said: 
This  light  is  from  the  Father,  and  from  the  Son, 
and  from  the  Holy  Spirit ;  about  whom  I  prophe- 
sied when  yet  alive,  saying.  The  land  of  Zabulon, 
and  the  land  of  Nephthalim,  the  people  that  sat 
in  darkness,  have  seen  a  great  light. 

Then  there  came  into  the  midst  another,  an 
ascetic  from  the  desert;  and  the  patriarchs  said 
to  him:  Who  art  thou.''  And  he  said:  I  am 
John,  the  last  of  the  prophets,  who  made  the 
paths  of  the  Son  of  God  straight,  and  proclaimed 
to  the  people  repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins. 
And  the  Son  of  God  came  to  me;  and  I,  seeing 
Him  a  long  way  off,  said  to  the  people :  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world.  And  with  my  hand  I  baptized  Him  in  the 
river  Jordan,  and  I  saw  like  a  dove  also  the  Holy 
Spirit  coming  upon  Him;  and  I  heard  also  the 
voice  of  God,  even  the  Father,  thus  saying :  This 
is  my  beloved  Son,  in  v/hom  I  am  well  pleased. 
And  on  this  account  He  sent  me  also  to  3'ou,  to 
proclaim  how  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God  is 
coming  here,  that  whosoever  shall  believe  in  Him 
shall  be  saved,  and  whosoever  shall  not  believe  in 
Him  shall  be  condemned.    On  this  account  I  say 

177 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

to  you  all,  in  order  that  when  you  see  Him,  you 
all  may  adore  Him,  that  now  only  is  for  you  the 
time  of  repentance  for  having  adored  idols  in  the 
vain  upper  world,  and  for  the  sins  you  have  com- 
mitted, and  that  this  is  impossible  at  any  other 
time. 

While  John,  therefore,  was  thus  teaching  those 
in  Hades,  the  first  created  and  forefather  Adam 
heard,  and  said  to  his  son  Seth:  My  son,  I  wish 
thee  to  tell  the  forefathers  of  the  race  of  men 
and  the  prophets  where  I  sent  thee,  when  it  fell 
to  my  lot  to  die.  And  Seth  said:  Prophets  and 
patriarchs,  hear.  When  my  father  Adam,  the 
first  created,  was  about  to  fall  once  upon  a  time 
into  death,  he  sent  me  to  make  entreaty  to  God 
very  close  by  the  gate  of  paradise,  that  he  would 
guide  me  by  an  angel  to  the  tree  of  compassion, 
and  that  I  might  take  oil  and  anoint  my  father, 
and  that  he  might  rise  up  from  his  sickness: 
which  thing,  therefore,  I  also  did.  And  after 
the  prayer  an  angel  of  the  Lord  came,  and  said 
to  me:  What,  Seth,  dost  thou  ask?  Dost  thou 
ask  oil  which  raiseth  up  the  sick,  or  the  tree  from 
which  this  oil  flows,  on  account  of  the  sickness 
of  thy  father  ?  This  is  not  to  be  found  now.  Go, 
therefore,  and  tell  thy  father,  that  after  the  ac- 
178 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

complishing  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  years 
from  the  creation  of  the  world,  then  shall  come 
into  the  earth  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God, 
being  made  man;  and  He  shall  anoint  him  with 
this  oil,  and  shall  raise  him  up;  and  shall  wash 
clean,  with  water  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  both 
him  and  those  out  of  him,  and  then  shall  he  be 
healed  of  every  disease ;  but  now  this  is  impossible. 

When  the  patriarchs  and  the  prophets  heard 
these  words,  they  rejoiced  greatly. 

And  when  all  were  in  such  joy,  came  Satan 
the  heir  of  darkness,  and  said  to  Hades:  O  all- 
devouring  and  insatiable,  hear  my  words.  There 
is  of  the  race  of  the  Jews  one  named  Jesus,  calling 
Himself  the  Son  of  God;  and  being  a  man,  by 
our  working  with  them  the  Jews  have  crucified 
Him:  and  now  when  He  is  dead,  be  ready  that 
we  may  secure  Him  here.  For  I  know  that  He  is 
a  man,  and  I  heard  Him  also  saying,  My  soul  is 
exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death.  He  has 
also  done  me  many  evils  when  living  with  mortals 
in  the  upper  world.  For  wherever  He  found  my 
servants.  He  persecuted  them ;  and  whatever  men 
I  made  crooked,  blind,  lame,  lepers,  or  any  such 
tiling,  by  a  single  word  He  healed  them ;  and 
many  whom  I  had  got  ready  to  be  buried,  even 
179 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

these  through  a  single  word  He  brought  to  hf  e 
again. 

Hades  says:  And  is  this  man  so  powerful  as 
to  do  such  things  by  a  single  word?  or  if  He  be 
so,  canst  thou  withstand  Him?  It  seems  to  me 
ihat,  if  He  be  so,  no  one  will  be  able  to  withstand 
Him.  And  if  thou  sayest  that  thou  didst  hear 
Him  dreading  death,  He  said  this  mocking  thee, 
and  laughing,  wishing  to  seize  thee  with  the 
strong  hand;  and  woe,  woe  to  thee,  to  all  eter- 
nity! 

Satan  says:  O  all-devouring  and  insatiable 
Hades,  art  thou  so  afraid  at  hearing  of  our  com- 
mon enemy?  I  was  not  afraid  of  Him,  but 
worked  in  the  Jews,  and  they  crucified  Him, 
and  gave  Him  also  to  drink  gall  with  vinegar. 
Make  ready  then,  in  order  that  you  may  lay 
fast  hold  of  Him  when  He  comes. 

Hades  answered:  Heir  of  darkness,  son  of 
destruction,  devil,  thou  hast  just  now  told  me 
that  man}'^  whom  thou  hadst  made  ready  to  be 
buried.  He  brought  to  life  again  by  a  single 
word.  And  if  He  has  delivered  others  from  the 
tomb,  how  and  with  what  power  shall  He  be 
laid  hold  of  by  us  ?  For  I  not  long  ago  swallowed 
down  one  dead,  Lazarus  by  name ;  and  not  long 
iSq 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

after,  one  of  the  living  by  a  single  word  dragged 
him  up  by  force  out  of  my  bowels:  and  I  think 
that  it  was  He  of  whom  thou  speakest.  If,  there- 
fore, we  receive  Him  here,  I  am  afraid  lest  per- 
chance we  be  in  danger  even  about  the  rest.  For, 
lo  all  those  that  I  have  swallowed  from  eternity  I 
perceive  to  be  in  commotion,  and  I  am  pained 
in  my  belly.  And  the  snatching  away  of  Lazarus 
beforehand  seems  to  me  to  be  no  good  sign:  for 
not  like  a  dead  body,  but  like  an  eagle,  he  flew 
out  of  me;  for  so  suddenly  did  the  earth  throw 
him  out.  Wherefore  also  I  adjure  even  thee, 
for  thy  benefit  and  for  mine,  not  to  bring  Him 
here;  for  I  think  that  He  is  coming  here  to  raise 
all  the  dead.  And  this  I  tell  thee:  by  the  dark- 
ness in  which  we  live,  if  thou  bring  Him  here, 
not  one  of  the  dead  will  be  left  behind  in  it  to 
me. 

While  Satan  and  Hades  were  thus  speaking 
to  each  other,  there  was  a  great  voice  like  thun- 
der, saying:  Lift  up  your  gates,  O  ye  rulers; 
and  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  gates ;  and 
the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in.  When  Hades 
heard,  he  said  to  Satan:  Go  forth,  if  thou  art 
able,  and  withstand  Him.  Satan  therefore  went 
forth  to  the  outside.  Then  Hades  says  to  his 
i8i 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

demons:  Secure  well  and  strongly  the  gates  of 
brass  and  the  bars  of  iron,  and  attend  to  my  bolts, 
and  stand  in  order,  and  see  to  everything ;  for  if 
He  come  in  here,  woe  will  seize  us. 

And  all  the  multitude  of  the  saints,  hearing 
this,  said  to  Hades,  with  the  voice  of  reproach: 
Open  thy  gates,  that  the  King  of  glory  may 
come  in.  And  David  cried  out,  saying:  Did  I 
not,  when  I  was  alive  upon  earth,  prophesy  to 
you:  Let  them  confess  to  the  Lord  His  tender 
mercies  and  His  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men:  for  He  has  shattered  the  brazen  gates, 
and  burst  the  iron  bars ;  He  has  taken  them  up 
out  of  the  way  of  their  iniquity  ?  And  after  this 
in  like  manner  Esaias  said:  Did  not  I,  when  I 
was  ahve  upon  earth,  prophesy  to  you :  The  dead 
shall  rise  up,  and  those  who  are  in  their  tombs 
shall  rise  again,  and  those  who  are  upon  earth 
shall  exult;  because  the  dew,  v/hich  is  from  the 
Lord,  is  their  health?  And  again  I  said.  Where 
O  Death,  is  thy  sting?  where,  0  Hades,  is  thy 
victory  ? 

And  when  all  the  saints  heard  this  from  Esaias, 
they  said  to  Hades :  Open  thy  gates.  Since  thou 
art  now  conquered,  thou  wilt  be  weak  and  power- 
less. And  there  was  a  great  voice,  as  of  thun- 
182 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

ders,  saying :  Lift  up  your  gates,  yc  princes ;  and 
be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  infernal  gates ;  and  the  King 
of  glory  shall  come  in.  Hades,  seeing  that  they 
had  twice  shouted  out  this,  says,  as  if  not  know- 
ing: Who  is  the  King  of  glory?  David  says,  in 
answer  to  Hades :  I  recognize  those  words  of  the 
shout,  since  I  prophesied  the  same  by  His  Spirit. 
And  now,  what  I  have  said  above  I  say  to  thee, 
The  Lord  strong  and  mighty,  the  Lord  mighty 
in  battle;  He  is  the  King  of  glory.  And  the 
Lord  Himself  hath  looked  down  from  heaven 
upon  earth,  to  hear  the  groans  of  the  prisoners, 
and  to  release  the  sons  of  the  slain.  And  now, 
most  filthy  and  most  foul  Hades,  open  thy  gates, 
that  the  King  of  glory  may  come  in.  While 
David  was  thus  speaking,  there  came  to  Hades, 
in  the  form  of  a  man,  the  Lord  of  majesty,  and 
lighted  up  the  eternal  darkness,  and  burst  asun- 
der the  indissoluble  chains ;  and  the  aid  of  un- 
conquered  power  visited  us,  sitting  in  the  pro- 
found darkness  of  transgressions,  and  in  the 
shadow  of  death  of  sins. 

When  this  was  seen  by  Hades  and  Death,  and 
their  impious  officers,  along  with  their  cruel  serv- 
ants, they  trembled  at  perceiving  in  their  own 
dominions  the  clearness  of  so  great  a  light,  when 

183 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

they  saw  Christ  suddenly  in  their  abodes;  and 
they  cried  out,  saying:  We  have  been  overcome 
by  Thee.  Who  art  Thou,  that  to  the  Lord  di- 
rectest  our  confusion?  Who  art  Thou,  that,  un- 
destroyed  by  corruption,  the  uncorrupted  proof 
of  Thy  majesty,  with  fury  condcmnest  our 
power?  Who  art  Thou,  so  great  and  httle,  lowly 
and  exalted,  soldier  and  commander,  wonderful 
warrior  in  the  form  of  a  slave,  and  the  King  of 
glory  dead  and  alive,  whom  slain  the  cross  has 
carried?  Thou,  who  didst  lie  dead  in  the  sepul- 
cher,  hast  come  down  to  us  alive;  and  in  Thy 
death  every  creature  trembled,  and  the  stars  in 
a  body  were  moved;  and  now  Thou  hast  been 
made  free  among  the  dead,  and  disturbest  our 
legions.  Who  art  Thou,  that  settest  free  those 
who  art  held  captive,  bound  by  original  sin,  and 
recallest  them  to  their  former  liberty?  Who  art 
Thou,  who  sheddest  a  divine,  and  splendid,  and 
illuminating  light  upon  those  who  have  been 
blinded  by  the  darkness  of  their  sins?   , 

In  like  manner,  also,  all  the  legions  of  the  de- 
mons, terror-stricken  with  like  fear  from  their 
fearful  overthrow,  cried  out,  saying :  Whence  art 
Thou,  O  Jesus,  a  man  so  powerful  and  splendid 
in  majesty,  so  excellent,  without  spot,  and  free 
184 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

from  guilt?  For  that  world  of  earth  which  has 
been  subject  to  us  always  until  now,  which  used 
to  pay  tribute  for  our  uses,  has  never  sent  us  such 
a  dead  man,  has  never  destined  such  gifts  for 
the  powers  below.  Who  therefore  art  Thou,  that 
hast  so  intrepidly  entered  our  bounds,  and  who 
hast  not  only  no  fear  of  our  punishments,  but, 
moreover,  attemptest  to  take  all  away  from  our 
chains?  Perhaps  Thou  art  that  Jesus  of  whom 
our  Prince  Satan  said,  that  by  Thy  death  of  the 
cross  Thou  wast  destined  to  receive  the  dominion 
of  the  whole  world.  Then  the  king  of  glory, 
trampling  on  death  by  His  majesty,  and  seizing 
Prince  Satan,  delivered  him  to  the  power  of 
Hades. 

Then  Hades,  receiving  Prince  Satan,  said  to 
him:  O  prince  of  perdition,  and  leader  of  ex- 
termination, Beelzebub,  derision  of  angels,  to  be 
spit  upon  by  the  just,  why  didst  thou  wish  to  do 
this?  Didst  thou  wish  to  crucify  the  King  of 
glory,  in  whose  death  thou  didst  promise  us  so 
great  spoils?  Like  a  fool,  thou  didst  not  know 
what  thou  wast  doing.  For,  behold,  that  Jesus 
by  the  splendor  of  His  divinity  is  putting  to 
flight  all  the  darkness  of  death,  and  He  has 
broken  into  the  strong  lowest    depths  of    our 

185 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

dungeons,  and  has  brought  out  the  captives,  and 
released  those  who  were  bound.  And  all  who 
used  to  groan  under  our  torments,  insult  us,  and 
by  their  prayers  our  dominions  are  taken  by 
storm,  and  our  realms  conquered,  and  no  race  of 
men  has  now  any  respect  for  us.  Moreover,  also, 
we  are  grievously  threatened  by  the  dead,  who 
have  never  been  haughty  to  us,  and  who  have 
not  at  any  time  been  joyful  as  captives.  O  Prince 
Satan,  father  of  all  impious  wretches  and  rene- 
gades, why  didst  thou  wish  to  do  this  "^  Of  those 
who  from  the  beginning,  even  until  now,  have 
despaired  of  salvation  and  life,  no  bellowing  after 
the  usual  fashion,  is  now  heard  here;  and  no 
groaning  of  theirs  resounds,  nor  in  any  of  their 
faces  is  a  trace  of  tears  found.  O  Prince  Satan, 
possessor  of  the  keys  of  the  lower  regions,  all  thy 
riches  which  thou  hadst  acquired  by  the  tree 
of  transgression  and  the  loss  of  paradise,  thou 
hast  now  lost  by  the  tree  of  the  cross  and  all 
thy  joy  has  perished.  When  thou  didst  hang  up 
that  Christ  Jesus  the  King  of  glory,  thou  wast 
acting  against  thyself  and  against  me.  Hence- 
forth thou  shalt  know  what  eternal  torments  and 
infinite  punishments  thou  art  to  endure  in  my 
everlasting  keeping.  O  Prince  Satan,  author  of 
l86 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

'death,  and  source  of  all  pride,  thou  oughtcst  first 
to  have  inquired  into  the  bad  cause  of  that  Jesus. 
Him  in  whom  thou  perceivedst  no  fault,  why, 
without  reason,  didst  thou  dare  unjustly  to  cru- 
cify ?  And  why  hast  thou  brought  to  our  regions 
one  innocent  and  just,  and  lost  the  gmlty,  the 
impious,  and  the  unjust  of  the  whole  world? 

And  when  Hades  had  thus  spoken  to  Prince 
Satan,  the  Lord  stretched  out  His  hand,  and  said : 
Come  to  me,  all  my  saints,  who  have  my  image 
and  likeness.  Do  you,  who  have  been  condemned 
through  the  tree  and  the  devil  and  death,  now  see 
the  devil  and  death  condemned  through  the  tree. 
Immediatel}^  all  the  saints  were  brought  together 
under  the  hand  of  the  Lord.  And  the  Lord, 
holding  Adam  by  the  right  hand  said  to  him: 
Peace  be  to  thee,  with  all  thy  children.  My 
righteous  ones.  And  Adam  fell  down  at  the 
knees  of  the  Lord,  and  with  tearful  entreaty 
praying,  said  with  a  loud  voice :  I  will  extol  Thee, 
O  Lord;  for  Thou  hast  lifted  me  up,  and  hast 
not  made  my  foes  to  rejoice  over  me.  O  Lord 
God,  I  cried  unto  Thee,  and  Thou  hast  healed 
me.  O  Lord,  Thou  hast  brought  out  my  soul 
from  the  powers  below ;  Thou  hast  saved  me  from 
them  that  go  down  into  the  pit.  Sing  praises  to 
187 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

the  Lord,  all  His  saints,  and  confess  to  the 
memorj^  of  His  holiness ;  since  there  is  anger  in 
His  indignation,  and  life  in  His  good  will.  In 
like  manner  also  all  the  saints  of  God,  falling  on 
their  knees  at  the  feet  of  the  Lord,  said  with  one 
voice ;  Thou  hast  come,  O  Redeemer  of  the  world, 
as  Thou  hast  foretold  by  the  law  and  Thy 
prophets,  so  hast  Thou  fulfilled  by  Thy  deeds. 
Thou  hast  redeemed  the  living  by  Thy  cross ;  and 
by  the  death  of  the  cross  Thou  hast  come  down 
to  us,  to  rescue  us  from  the  povv^ers  below,  and 
from  death,  by  Thy  majesty.  O  Lord,  as  Thou 
hast  set  the  title  of  Thy  glory  in  heaven,  and 
hast  erected  as  the  title  of  redemption  Thy  cross 
upon  earth,  so,  O  Lord,  set  in  Hades  the  sign 
of  the  victory  of  Thy  cross,  that  death  may  no 
more  have  dominion.  And  the  Lord,  stretching 
forth  His  hand,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  upon 
Adam  and  upon  all  His  saints ;  and  holding  Adam 
by  the  right  hand,  went  up  from  the  powers 
below,  and  all  the  saints  followed  Him.  Then 
holy  David  cried  out  aloud,  saying:  Sing  unto 
the  Lord  a  new  song,  for  He  hath  done  wonderful 
things;  His  right  hand  and  His  holy  arm  have 
brought  salvation  to  Himself.  The  Lord  hath 
made  known  His  salvation;  His  righteousness 
l88 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

hath  He  revealed  in  the  sight  of  the  heathen. 
And  all  the  multitude  of  the  saints  answered, 
saying:  This  is  glory  to  all  His  saints.  Amen, 
alleluia.  And  after  this  the  prophet  Habacuc 
cried  out,  sa^dng:  Thou  wentest  forth  for  the 
salvation  of  Thy  people,  to  deliver  Thine  elect. 
And  all  the  saints  answered,  saying:  Blessed  is 
He  who  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord;  God 
is  the  Lord,  and  He  hath  shone  upon  us.  Amen, 
alleluia.  In  like  manner  after  this  the  prophet 
IMichseas  also  cried  out,  saying:  Who  is  a  God 
like  unto  thee,  O  Lord,  taking  away  iniquities 
and  passing  by  sins?  And  now  Thou  dost  with- 
hold Thine  anger  for  a  testimony  against  us, 
because  Thou  delightest  in  mercy.  And  Thou 
turnest  again,  and  hast  compassion  upon  us,  and 
pardonest  all  our  iniquities ;  and  all  our  sins  hast 
Thou  sunk  in  the  multitude  of  death,  as  Thou 
hast  sworn  unto  our  fathers  in  the  days  of  old. 
And  all  the  saints  answered,  saying:  This  is  our 
God  to  eteraity,  and  for  ever  and  ever;  and  He 
will  direct  us  for  evermore.  Amen,  alleluia.  So 
also  all  the  prophets,  quoting  the  sacred  writings 
concerning  His  praises,  and  all  the  saints  crying, 
Amen,  alleluia,  followed  the  Lord. 

And  the  Lord,  holding  the  hand  of  Adam,  de- 
189 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

livered  him  to  Michael  the  archangel :  and  all  the 
saints  followed  Michael  the  archangel,  and  he 
led  them  all  into  the  glorious  gate  of  paradise. 
And  there  met  them  two  men,  ancient  of  days. 
The  saints  asked  them :  Who  are  you,  that  have 
not  yet  been  dead  along  with  us  in  the  regions 
below,  and  have  been  placed  in  paradise  in  the 
body?  One  of  them  answered,  and  said:  I  am 
Enoch,  who  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  have  been 
translated  hither ;  and  he  who  is  with  me  is  Elias 
the  Thesbite,  who  was  taken  up  by  a  fiery  chariot. 
Here  also  even  until  now  we  have  not  tasted  death 
but  have  been  reserved  to  the  coming  of  Anti- 
christ, by  divine  signs  and  wonders  to  do  battle 
with  him,  and,  being  killed  by  him  in  Jerusalem, 
after  three  days  and  half  a  day  to  be  taken  up 
alive  again  in  the  clouds. 

And  while  the  saints  Enoch  and  Elias  were 
thus  speaking,  behold,  there  came  up  another 
man,  most  wretched,  carrying  on  his  shoulders 
the  sign  of  the  cross.  And  seeing  him,  all  the 
saints  said  to  him:  Who  art  thou?  because  thy 
appearance  is  that  of  a  robber.  And  what  is  the 
sign  which  thou  earnest  on  thy  shoulders?  In 
answer  to  them,  he  said:  Truly  have  you  said 
that  I  was  a  robber,  doing  all  sorts  of  evil  upon 
190 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  earth.  And  the  Jevrs  crucified  me  along  with 
Jesus ;  and  I  saw  the  miracles  in  created  things 
which  were  done  through  the  cross  of  Jesus  cruci- 
fied, and  I  believed  Him  to  be  the  Creator  of  all 
created  things,  and  the  King  omnipotent ;  and  I 
entreated  Him,  saying.  Be  mindful  of  me.  Lord, 
when  Thou  shalt  have  come  into  Thy  kingdom. 
Immediately  He  accepted  my  entreaty,  and  said 
to  me.  Amen;  I  say  to  thee.  To-day  shalt  thou 
be  with  Me  in  paradise.  And  He  gave  me  this 
sign  of  the  cross,  saying.  Walk  into  paradise 
carrying  this ;  and  if  the  guardian  angel  of 
paradise  will  not  let  thee  go  in,  show  him  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  and  thou  shalt  say  to  him, 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  who  has  now  been 
crucified,  has  sent  me.  Having  done  so,  I  said 
all  this  to  the  guardian  angel  of  paradise.  And 
when  he  heard  this,  he  immediately  opened,  and 
led  me  in,  and  placed  me  at  the  right  of  para- 
dise, saying,  Lo,  hold  a  little,  and  there  will 
come  in  the  father  of  the  whole  human  race, 
Adam,  with  all  his  children,  holy  and  just,  after 
the  triumph  and  glory  of  the  ascension  of  Christ 
the  crucified  Lord.  Hearing  all  these  words 
of  the  robber,  all  the  holy  patriarchs  and 
prophets  with  one  voice  said:  Blessed  art  Thou, 
191 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

0  Lord  Almighty,  Father  of  everlasting  bene- 
fits, and  Father  of  mercies,  who  hast  given 
such  grace  to  Thy  sinners,  and  hast  brought 
them  back  into  the  grace  of  paradise,  and  into 
Thy  rich  pastures ;  for  this  is  spiritual  life  most 
sure.     Amen,  amen. 

These  are  the  divine  and  sacred  mysteries 
which  we  saw  and  heard,  I,  Karinus,  and  Leucius. 
More  we  are  not  allowed  to  tell  of  the  other 
mysteries  of  God,  as  Michael  the  archangel  ad- 
jured us,  and  said:  You  shall  go  into  Jerusalem 
with  your  brethren,  and  continue  in  prayers, 
and  you  shall  cry  out,  and  glorify  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  raised 
you  up  again  from  the  dead  with  Himself.  And 
with  none  of  men  shall  you  speak ;  and  you  shall 
sit  as  if  dumb,  until  the  hour  shall  come  when 
the  Lord  Himself  shall  permit  you  to  relate  the 
mysteries  of  His  divinity.  And  Michael  the 
archangel  ordered  us  to  walk  across  Jordan  into 
a  place  rich  and  fertile,  where  there  are  many 
who  rose  again  along  with  us  for  an  evidence  of 
the  resurrection  of  Christ  the  Lord ;  because  only 
three  days  were  allowed  to  us  who  have  risen 
from  the  dead  to  celebrate  in  Jenisalem  the  pass- 
over  of  the  Lord,  with  our  living  relations,  for 
192 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

an  evidence  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ  the 
Lord:  and  we  have  been  baptized  in  the  holy 
river  of  Jordan,  receiving  each  of  us  white 
robes.  And  after  three  days,  when  we  had  cele- 
brated the  passover  of  the  Lord,  all  who  rose 
again  along  with  us  were  snatched  up  into  the 
clouds,  and  taken  across  the  Jordan,  and  were 
no  longer  seen  by  any  one. 

These  are  the  things  which  the  Lord  com- 
manded us  to  relate  to  you.  Give  Him  praise 
and  confession,  and  be  penitent,  that  He  may 
have  mercy  upon  you.  The  love  of  the  Father, 
the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  be  with  you  all !    Amen. 

And  after  they  had  finished  all,  writing  on 
separate  sheets  of  paper,  they  arose.  And  Ka- 
rinus  gave  what  he  wrote  into  the  hands  of 
Annas  and  Caiaphas  and  Gamaliel;  in  like 
manner  also  Leucius  gave  what  he  wrote  into 
the  hands  of  Nicodemus  and  Joseph.  And  being 
suddenly  transfigured,  they  became  exceedingly 
white,  and  Avere  seen  no  more.  And  their  writ- 
ings were  found  exactly  the  same,  not  one  letter 
more  or  less. 

All  the  synagog  of  the  Jews,  hearing  all  these 
wonderful  sayings  of  Karinus  and  Leucius,  said 

193 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

to  each  other:  Truly  all  these  things  have  been 
done  by  the  Lord,  and  blessed  be  the  Lord  for 
ever  and  ever.  Amen.  And  they  all  went  out 
with  great  anxiety,  beating  their  breasts  with 
fear  and  trembling;  and  they  went  away,  each 
to  his  own  house. 

All  these  things  which  were  said  by  the  Jews 
in  their  synagog  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  imme- 
diately reported  to  the  proconsul.  And  Pilate 
himself  wrote  all  which  had  been  done  and  said 
concerning  Jesus  by  the  Jews,  and  he  placed 
all  the  words  in  the  public  record  of  his  pras- 
torium.  After  this,  Pilate  going  into  the 
temple  of  the  Jews,  assembled  all  the  chief 
priests  and  learned  men,  and  scribes,  and  teach- 
ers of  the  law,  and  went  in  with  them  into  the 
sanctuary  of  the  temple,  and  ordered  that  all 
the  gates  should  be  shut,  and  said  to  them:  We 
have  heard  that  you  have  a  certain  great  col- 
lection of  books  in  tliis  temple:  therefore  I  ask 
you  that  it  be  presented  before  us.  And  when 
four  officers  brought  in  that  collection  of  books, 
adorned  with  gold  and  precious  gems,  Pilate 
said  to  all:  I  ?.djure  you  by  the  God  of  your 
fathers,  who  ordered  you  to  build  this  temple  in 
the  place  of  His  sanctuary,  not  to  conceal  the 
194 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

truth  from  me.  You  all  know  what  is  vvTitten 
in  that  collection  of  books ;  but  now  say  whether 
you  have  found  in  the  writings  that  Jesus,  whom 
you  have  crucified,  to  be  the  Son  of  God  that 
was  to  come  for  the  salvation  of  the  human  race, 
and  in  how  many  revolutions  of  the  seasons  He 
ought  to  come.  Declare  to  me  whether  you  cru- 
cified Plim  in  ignorance  of  this,  or  knowing  it. 
Being  thus  adjured,  Annas  and  Caiaphas 
ordered  all  the  others  who  were  with  them  to  go 
out  of  the  sanctuary;  and  themselves  shut  all 
the  gates  of  the  temple  and  the  sanctuary,  and 
said  to  Pilate:  We  have  been  adjured  by  thee,  O 
good  judge,  by  the  building  of  this  temple,  to 
give  thee  the  truth,  and  a  clear  account  of  this 
matter.  After  we  had  crucified  Jesus,  not 
knowing  Him  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  thinking 
that  He  did  miracles  by  means  of  some  charm, 
we  made  a  great  synagog  in  this  temple.  And 
conferring  with  each  other  of  the  signs  of  the 
miracles  which  Jesus  had  done,  we  found  many 
witnesses  of  our  nation  who  said  that  they  had 
seen  Jesus  alive  after  suffering  death,  and  we 
have  seen  two  witnesses,  whom  Jesus  raised  up 
again  from  the  dead,  who  told  us  many  wonder- 
ful things  that  Jesus  did  among  the  dead,  which 

195 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

we  have  in  our  hands,  written  out.  And  our 
custom  is,  every  year  before  our  synagog,  to 
open  that  holy  collection  of  books,  and  seek  out 
the  testimony  of  God.  And  we  have  found  in 
the  first  book  of  the  LXX.,  where  the  archangel 
Michael  spoke  to  the  third  son  of  Adam,  the  first 
man,  of  5500  years,  in  which  the  Christ,  the 
most  beloved  Son  of  God,  was  to  come  from  the 
heavens;  and  upon  this  we  have  considered  that 
perhaps  He  was  the  God  of  Israel  who  said  to 
Moses,  Make  to  thee  the  ark  of  the  covenant, 
two  cubits  and  a  half  in  length,  one  cubit  and 
a  half  in  breadth,  one  cubit  and  a  half  in  height. 
In  these  five  and  a  half  cubits  we  have  under- 
stood and  recognized,  from  the  structure  of  the 
ark  of  the  old  covenant,  that  in  five  and  a  half 
thousands  of  years,  Jesus  Clunst  was  to  come 
in  the  ark  of  the  body ;  and  we  have  found  Him 
to  be  the  God  of  Israel,  the  Son  of  God.  Be- 
cause after  His  passion,  we,  the  chief  priests, 
wondering  at  the  signs  which  happened  on  ac- 
count of  Him,  opened  this  collection  of  books, 
searching  out  all  the  generations,  even  to  the 
generation  of  Joseph,  and  reckoning  that  Mary 
the  mother  of  Christ  was  of  the  seed  of  David; 
and  we  have  found  that  from  the  time  that  God 
196 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  and  the  first 
man,  to  the  deluge,  are  2212  (2512)  years,  and 
from  the  deluge  to  Abraham  912  (960)  years, 
and  from  Abraham  to  Moses  430 ;  from  Moses 
to  David  510;  from  David  to  the  migration  to 
Babylon  500 ;  from  the  migration  to  Babylon  to 
the  birth  of  Christ  538  years,  which  together 
were  5560  years ;  and  thus  it  is  clear,  that  Jesus, 
whom  we  have  crucified,  is  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God,  true  and  almighty  God. 


197 


SECTION  X 

Report  of  Jesus'  Ascension.  Jestjs  is  sought 
but  not   found.     testimony  to  the  as- 

CENSION 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  chs.  14,  15,  16,  17.) 

And  Phinees  a  priest,  and  Addas  a  teacher, 
and  Haggai  a  Levite,  came  down  from  Galilee 
to  Jerusalem,  and  said  to  the  rulers  of  the  syna- 
gog,  and  the  priests  and  the  Levites:  We  saw 
Jesus  and  His  disciples  sitting  on  the  mountain 
called  Momphe;  and  He  said  to  them,  Go  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  to  every  creature:  he 
that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,  and 
he  that  beheveth  not  shall  be  condemned.  And 
these  signs  shall  attend  those  who  have  believed: 
in  My  name  they  shall  cast  out  demons,  speak 
new  tongues,  take  up  serpents;  and  if  they 
drink  any  deadly  thing,  it  shall  by  no  means 
hurt  them;  they  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick, 
and  they  shall  be  well.  And  while  Jesus  was 
speaking  to  His  disciples,  we  saw  Him  taken  up 
198 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 


to  heaven.  The  elders,  priests  and  Levites  said: 
Give  glory  to  the  God  of  Israel,  and  confess  to 
Him  whether  you  have  heard  and  seen  those 
tilings  of  which  you  have  given  us  an  account. 
And  those  who  had  given  the  account  said:  As 
the  Lord  liveth,  the  God  of  our  fathers,  the 
God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac  and 
the  God  of  Jacob,  we  heard  these  things,  and 
saw  Him  taken  up  into  heaven.  Then  the  Jews 
said  unto  them:  Have  you  come  to  give  us  this 
announcement,  or  to  offer  prayer  to  God?  And 
they  said:  to  offer  prayer  to  God.  The  Jews 
said  to  them :  why  then  have  you  told  these  idle 
tales  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people?  Then 
said  Phinees  and  Addas  the  teacher,  and  Haggai 
the  Levite,  to  the  rulers  of  the  synagog,  priests 
and  Levites:  if  what  we  have  said  is  a  sin,  be- 
hold, we  are  before  you;  do  to  us  as  seems  good 
in  your  eyes.  And  they  took  the  law,  and  made 
them  swear  upon  it,  not  to  give  any  more  an 
account  of  these  matters  to  any  one.  And  they 
gave  them  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  sent  them 
out  of  the  city,  having  given  them  also  money, 
and  three  men  with  them.  And  thus  they  went 
along. 

And  these  men  having  gone,  the  chief  priests, 
199 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

and  the  rulers  of  the  synagog  and  the  elders 
came  together,  and  locked  the  door,  and  lamented 
with  a  great  lamentation,  saying:  What  means 
this  sign  that  has  happened  in  Israel?  And 
Annas  and  Caiaphas  said :  Why  are  j'^ou  so  sad  ? 
Have  we  to  believe  the  men  of  the  guard  that 
an  angel  came  down  from  heaven  and  rolled  away 
the  stone  from  the  door  of  the  tomb?  His  dis- 
ciples have  no  doubt  given  them  a  sum  of  money, 
and  have  taken  the  body  of  Jesus;  and  the  dis- 
ciples themselves  have  instructed  the  guard  of 
the  tomb  to  say  that  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
came  down  and  rolled  away  the  stone  from  the 
door  of  the  tomb.  Or  know  you  not  that  we 
must  not  believe  the  uncircumcised?  Besides, 
they  have  also  received  money  from  us  and  have 
spoken   as   we   have   told   them   to   do. 

And  Nicodemus  stood  up,  and  stood  before 
the  Sanhedrin,  saying:  You  say  well.  You  are 
not  ignorant,  you  people  of  the  Lord,  of  these 
men  that  came  down  from  Galilee,  that  they 
fear  God,  and  are  men  of  substance,  haters 
of  covetousness,  men  of  peace;  and  they  have 
declared  with  an  oath.  We  saw  Jesus  upon  the 
mountain  Momphe  with  His  twelve  disciples,  and 
He  taught  what  we  heard  from  Him,  and  we 
200 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

saw  Him  taken  up  into  heaven.  And  no  one 
asked  them  in  what  form  He  went  up.  For  as- 
suredly, as  the  Holy  Scripture  teaches,  Helias 
also  was  taken  up  into  heaven,  and  Elissaeus 
cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  threw  the  sheep- 
skin upon  the  Jordan,  and  crossed  and  came  into 
Jericho  and  the  children  of  the  prophets  met 
him,  and  said,  where  is  thy  master  Helias?  And 
he  said,  he  has  been  taken  up  into  heaven. 
And  they  said  to  Elissaeus :  Has  not  a  spirit 
seized  him,  and  thrown  him  upon  a  mountain,'* 
But  let  us  take  our  servants  with  us,  and  seek 
him.  And  they  persuaded  Elissaeus,  and  he 
went  away  with  them.  And  they  sought  him 
three  days,  and  did  not  find  him;  and  they 
knew  he  had  been  taken  up.  And  now  listen 
to  me,  and  let  us  send  into  every  district  of 
Israel,  and  see  lest  perchance  Jesus  has  been 
taken  up  by  a  spirit,  and  tlu'own  upon  one  of 
the  mountains.  And  tliis  proposal  pleased  all, 
and  they  sent  soldiers  into  every  district  of 
Israel,  and  sought  Jesus  and  did  not  find  Him. 
And  they  sent  away  the  three  men  who  had 
already  gone  away  into  Galilee  with  them,  and 
said  to  them:  Say  to  Rabbi  Addas  and  Rabbi 
Phinees,  and  Rabbi  Haggai:  Peace  to  you,  and 
201 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

t— 

all  who  are  with  you!  A  great  inquiry  having 
taken  place  in  the  Sanhedrin,  we  have  been  sent 
to  you  to  call  you  to  Jerusalem.  And  the  men 
went  into  Galilee,  and  found  them  sitting 
and  studying  the  law.  Having  saluted  each 
other,  the  men  asked:  Why  have  you  come.'* 
And  the  messenger  said :  The  Sanhedrin  call  you 
to  Jerusalem.  And  when  the  men  heard  this, 
they  praised  God  and  reclined  with  the  men, 
and  ate  and  drank,  and  rose  up,  and  set  out  in 
peace  to  Jerusalem. 

And  on  the  following  day  the  Sanhedrin  sat 
in  the  synagog,  and  asked  them,  saying:  Did 
you  really  see  Jesus  sitting  on  the  mountain 
Momphe  teaching  His  eleven  disciples,  and  did 
you  see  Him  taken  up.^  And  the  men  answered 
them,  and  said:  As  we  saw  Him  taken  up,  so 
also  we  said.  And  Annas  said:  Take  them 
away  from  one  another,  and  let  us  see  whether 
their  account  agrees.  And  thus  they  did.  And 
first  they  called  Addas  and  said  to  him:  How 
didst  thou  see  Jesus  taken  up.''  And  Addas 
said:  While  He  was  yet  sitting  on  the  mountain 
Momphe,  and  teacliing  His  disciples,  we  saw 
a  cloud  overshadowing  both  Him  and  His  dis- 
ciples. And  the  cloud  took  Him  up  into  heaven, 
202 


NARRATIVES  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  His  disciples  lay  upon  their  faces  upon 
the  earth.  In  the  same  manner  they  asked  the 
other  two,  and  their  answer  was  the  same.  And 
the  Sanhedrin  said:  the  law  of  Moses  holds:  At 
the  mouth  of  two  or  three  every  word  shall  be 
established.  And  Addas  a  teacher  said:  It  is 
written  in  the  law :  and  Enoch  walked  with  God, 
and  is  not,  because  God  took  him.  And  Jairus, 
the  teacher,  said:  And  the  death  of  holy  Moses 
we  have  heard  of,  and  his  grave  we  know  not; 
for  it  is  written  in  the  Law  of  the  Lord:  And 
INIoses  died  from  the  mouth  of  the  Lord,  and 
no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulcher  unto  this  day. 
And  Rabbi  Levi  said:  Why  did  Rabbi  Simeon 
say,  when  he  saw  Jesus :  Behold,  He  is  set  for  the 
fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel,  and 
for  a  sign  spoken  against.'^  And  Rabbi  Isaiah 
said:  It  is  written  in  the  law:  behold  I  send 
My  messenger  before  thy  face,  who  shall  go  be- 
fore thee  to  keep  thee  in  every  good  way,  where 
My  name  had  been  called  upon.  And  Annas  and 
Caiaphas  said:  Rightly  have  you  said  what  is 
written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that  no  one  saw  the 
death  of  Enoch,  and  no  one  has  known  the 
death  of  Moses,  but  Jesus  was  tried  before  Pi- 
late, and  we  saw  Him  receiving  blows  and  spit- 
203 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

tings  on  His  face,  and  the  soldiers  put  about  Him 
a  crown  of  thorns,  and  He  was  scourged,  and 
received  sentence  from  Pilate,  and  was  crucified 
upon  the  Cranium,  and  two  robbers  with  Him; 
and  thej  gave  Him  to  drink  vinegar  with  gall, 
and  Longinus  the  soldier  pierced  His  side  with 
a  spear;  and  Joseph  our  honorable  father 
begged  His  body,  and,  as  he  says.  He  is  risen, 
and  as  the  three  teachers  say,  We  saw  Him 
taken  up  into  heaven. 


204 


PART  III 

MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 
PERTAINING  TO  JESUS 


205 


SECTION  I 

Testimonies  to  Jesus 

1.  Josephus'  testimony 

*'  Now  there  was  about  this  time  Jesus,  a 
wise  man,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call  Him  a  man ;  for 
He  was  a  doer  of  wonderful  works,  a  teacher  of 
such  men  as  receive  the  truth  with  pleasure.  He 
drew  over  to  Him  both  many  of  the  Jews  and 
many  of  the  Gentiles.  He  was  the  Christ.  And 
when  Pilate,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  principal 
men  amongst  us,  had  condemned  Him  to  the 
cross,  those  that  loved  Him  at  the  first  did  not 
forsake  Him;  for  He  appeared  to  them  alive 
again  the  third  day;  as  the  divine  prophets 
had  foretold  these  and  ten  thousand  other  won- 
derful things  concerning  Him.  And  the  tribe 
of  Christians  so  named  from  Him,  are  not  ex- 
tinct at  this  day."     {Antt.  xviii,  3,  3.)^ 

*  We  cannot  enter  here  into  an  inquiry  whether  this 
passage  is  genuine  or  interpolated.    The  Hterature  on . 

207 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


2.  Mara's  testimony 

"  What  are  we  to  say,  when  the  wise  are 
dragged  by  force  by  hands  of  tyrants,  and 
their  wisdom  is  deprived  of  its  freedom  by 
slander,  and  they  are  plundered  for  their  (su- 
perior) intelligence,  without  (the  opportunity 
of  making)  a  defence?  (They  are  not  wholly 
to  be  pitied).  For  what  benefit  did  the  Athenians 
obtain  by  putting  Socrates  to  death,  seeing  that 
they  received  (as)  retribution  for  it  famine  and 

this  question  is  very  large.  See  Furst,  Biblioth. 
Judaica,  II,  127-132.  At  the  present  three  different 
views  prevail,  viz. : 

1.  The  passage  is  entirely  genuine.  This  is  the  old 
view,  which  had  and  still  has  many  defenders.  Of  the 
most  recent  we  mention  K.  Theod.  Schneider,  in  an 
Appendix  to  his  Markus  tmd  der  aramdische  Matthdus, 
Schleswig,  1896. 

2.  The  passage  is  partly  genuine,  partly  interpolated, 
as  Bohle,  Flavins  Joscphns  iiher  Christus  und  die  Chris- 
ten, Brixen,  1896;  Reinach  in  Revue  des  etudes  juives, 
vol.  XXXV  (1897),  p.  1-18. 

3.  The  passage  is  wholly  interpolated  by  a  Christian 
hand,  so  among  the  most  recent,  G.  A.  Miiller,  Christus 
bei  Flavins  Joscphus,  second  ed.,  Innsbruck,  1896;  Niese, 
De  testimonio  Christiana  quod  est  apud  Josephum, 
Marburg,  1893 ;  Schiirer,  Geschichte  des  jiidischen 
Volkes    (3rd   ed.),   Leipzig,    1901,   vol.    I,   pp.   544-549. 

208 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

pestilence?  Oi-  the  people  of  Samos  by  the 
burning  of  Pythagoras,  seeing  that  in  one  hour 
the  whole  of  their  country  was  covered  with 
sand?  Or  the  Jews  (by  the  murder)  of  their 
wise  King,  seeing  that  from  that  very  time  their 
kingdom  was  driven  away  (from  them)?  For 
with  justice  did  God  grant  a  recompense  to  the 
wisdom  of  (all)  three  of  them.  For  the  Atheni- 
ans died  by  famine ;  and  the  people  of  Samos 
were  covered  by  the  sea  without  remedy;  and 
the  Jews,  brought  to  destruction  and  expelled 
from  their  kingdom,  are  driven  away  into  every 
land.  (Nay),  Socrates  did  not  die,  because  of 
Plato ;  nor  yet  Pythagoras,  because  of  the  statue 
of  Hera;  nor  yet  the  wise  King,  because  of  the 
new  laws  wliich  he  enacted."  ^ 

'  From  a  letter  by  the  heathen  philosopher  Mara,  to 
his  son  Serapion,  first  published  by  Cureton  in  Spicile- 
giiim  Syriacum,  London,  1855,  and  translated  by  Pratten 
in  the  "  Ante-Nicene  Library,"  Edinburgh,  vol.  xxiv 
(1872),  104-114,  from  which  the  above  extract  is  taken. 
According  to  Harnack,  AltchristUche  Littcratur  bis 
Eusebius,  p.  763,  this  letter  belongs  to  the  time  of  Marc 
Aurelius,  soon  after  165  a.  d.  Ewald  calls  his  testimony 
"  very  remarkable  for  its  simplicity  and  originality  as 
well  as  its  antiquity." 


209 


SECTION  II 

The  personal  appearance  of  Christ 

1.  From  the  letter  of  Lentulus  to  the  Roman 
Senate  ^ 

"  He  is  a  man  of  noble  and  well-proportioned 
stature,  with  a  face  full  of  kindness  and  yet 
firmness,  so  that  the  beholders  both  love  Him 
and  fear  Him.  His  hair  is  of  the  color  of  wine, 
and  golden  at  the  root;  straight,  and  without 
lustre,  but  from  the  level  of  the  ears  curling  and 
glossy,  and  divided  down  the  centre  after  the 
fashion  of  the  Nazarenes.    His  forehead  is  even 

^  This  letter,  which  was  first  discovered  in  a  MS. 
copy  of  the  writings  of  Anselm  of  Canterbury,  in  the 
twelfth  century,  is  published  in  Fabricius  Codex  Apocry- 
phus  Novi  Test.,  I.,  p.  301  seq.  In  the  description  found 
in  the  works  of  John  of  Damascus,  of  the  eighth  century, 
and  of  Nicephorus,  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Christ  is 
represented  as  resembling  His  mother,  of  a  stately 
person  though  slightly  stooping,  beautiful  eyes,  blond, 
long,  and  curly  hair,  pale,  olive  complexion,  long  fingers, 
and  a  look  expressive  of  nobility,  wisdom,  and  patience. 

210 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 


and  smooth,  His  face  without  wrinkle  or  blemish, 
and  glowing  with  a  delicate  bloom.  His  coun- 
tenance is  frank  and  kind.  Nose  and  mouth  are 
in  no  way  faulty.  His  beard  is  full,  of  the  same 
hazel  color  as  His  hair,  not  long,  but  forked. 
His  eyes  are  blue,  and  extremely  brilliant.  In 
reproof  and  rebuke  He  is  formidable ;  in  exhorta- 
tion and  teacliing,  gentle  and  amiable.  He  has 
never  been  seen  to  laugh,  but  oftentimes  to  weep. 
His  person  is  tall  and  erect ;  His  hands  and  limbs 
beautiful  and  straight.  In  speaking  He  is  delib- 
erate and  grave,  and  little  given  to  loquacity. 
In  beauty  He  surpasses  the  children  of  men." 

2.  Description  hy  EpipJianius  the  Monh^ 

"  But  my  Christ  and  my  God  was  exceedingly 
beautiful  in  countenance.  His  stature  was  fully 
developed,  His  height  being  six  feet.  He  had 
auburn  hair,  quite  abundant,  and  flowing  down 
mostly  over  His  whole  person.      His    eyebrows 

'  The  author  of  this  description  is  Epiphanius  the 
monk  or  monachus,  who  lived  at  Jerusalem  about  1150, 
whose  edita  et  incdita  Albert  Dressel  published  at  Paris- 
Leipzig  in  1843.  Tischendorf  discovered  a  somewhat 
different  and  perhaps  more  original  form  (Cod.  Ven., 
cl.  i,  cod.  3,  No.  12,000),  which  is  published  in  Winer 
Realworterbuch,  I,  p.  576. 

211 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

were  black,  and  not  higWy  arched;  His  eyes 
brown,  and  bright.  He  had  a  family  likeness, 
in  His  fine  eyes,  prominent  nose  and  good  color, 
to  His  ancestor  David,  who  is  said  to  have  had 
beautiful  eyes  and  a  ruddy  complexion.  He 
wore  His  hair  long,  for  a  razor  never  touched  it ; 
nor  was  it  cut  by  any  person,  except  by  His 
mother  in  His  childhood.  His  neck  inclined  for- 
ward a  little,  so  that  the  posture  of  His  body 
was  not  too  upright  or  stiff.  His  face  was  full, 
but  not  quite  so  round  as  His  mother's ;  tinged 
with  sufficient  color  to  make  it  handsome  and 
natural :  mild  in  expression,  like  the  blandness  in 
the  above  description  of  His  mother,  whose  fea- 
tures His  own  strongly  resembled." 


212 


SECTION  III 

Jesus  is  baptized  by  John 

(From  the  Gospel  of  the  Ebionites.) 

**  It  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Herod,  King 
of  Judea,  when  Caiaphas  was  chief  priest, 
that  John  came  baptizing,  with  a  baptism  of 
repentance,  in  the  river  Jordan,  who  was  said  to 
be  of  the  race  of  Aaron  the  priest,  a  son  of 
Zachariah  and  Elizabeth;  and  Pharisees  went 
out  to  him  and  were  baptized,  and  all  Jerusalem. 
And  John  had  raiment  of  camels'  hair,  and  a 
girdle  of  skin  about  his  loins;  and  his  food  was 
wild  honey,  the  taste  of  which  was  the  taste  of 
manna,  like  a  honey-cake  steeped  in  oil.  When 
the  people  were  baptized,  Jesus  also  came  to 
be  baptized  by  John.  And  when  He  came  up 
from  the  water,  the  heavens  were  opened,  and 
He  saw  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  the  form  of  a 
dove,  which  came  down  and  came  upon  Him. 
And  a  voice  came  from  heaven  saying :  Thou  art 
My  beloved  Son;  in  Thee  I  am  well  pleased. 
213 


»  EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

And  again:  To-day  have  I  begotten  Thee.^ 
And  immediately  a  great  light  shone  round 
about  the  place;  and  John  when  he  saw  it,  says 
to  Jesus:  Who  art  Thou,  Lord?  And  again  a 
voice  came  from  heaven  to  him  (John) :  This  is 
my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased. 
And  then  John  fell  down  before  Him,  and  said: 
I  beseech  Thee,  Lord,  do  Thou  baptize  me.  But 
He  forbade  him  saying.  Suffer  it,  for  thus  it  is 
becoming  that  all  things  be  fulfilled."  ^ 

*  So  also  codex  Bezae  or  D  in  Luke  3,  22. 
*Epiphanius  Hares,  xxx,  13. 


214 


SECTION  IV 

The  choice  of  the  apostles — ^List  of  the 
seventy  disciples 

Andrew,  the  brother  of  Simon  Peter  and  son 
of  Jona,  having  heard  from  John  that  this 
(Jesus)  is  the  Lamb  of  God,  was  moved  by  the 
miracle  and  also  by  the  authority  of  John,  and 
quickly  ran  to  his  brother.  When  he  had  told 
him  of  Christ,  he  persuaded  Peter  to  go  with  him 
and  see  him.  It  then  happened  that  when  he 
and  Peter  his  brother  cast  the  nets  into  the  sea — 
for  they  were  fishers — that  Jesus  walked  by  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  and  passing  them  said  to  them: 
follow  Me,  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men.  And 
they  straightway  left  their  nets  and  followed 
Him.  The  other  apostles  were  James  the  son  of 
Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother,  whom  Jesus  saw 
in  a  ship  with  Zebedee  their  father.  And  He 
called  them  and  they  followed  Him.  And  Simon 
called  the  Canaanite,  and  Judas  also  called 
Thaddasus,   and   James,   whom  they  called   the 

215 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

brother  of  the  Lord;  they  were  born  at  Cana  In 
Galilee,  and  their  parents  were  Alphaeus  and 
Mary,  the  daughter  of  Kleopas ;  and  the  last 
of  them  was,  it  is  true,  of  the  same  mother,  but 
of  a  different  father,  namely  Joseph  the  Just, 
the  betrothed  of  the  mother  of  God,  Mary.  And 
Matthew,  called  Levi,  the  son  of  AlpliEEUS ;  the 
same  was  a  publican,  and  was  called  away  from 
his  office  by  Christ  and  came  into  the  number 
of  the  disciples.  And  Bartholomew  and  Thomas, 
called  by  the  Lord  Didymus,  and  Philip,  a  coun- 
tryman of  Peter  and  Andrew,  who  came  from  a 
village  of  Bethsalda,  in  Galilee,  and  was  soon 
called  after  Peter,  and  Judas  Iscariot.-^ 

*  The  above  notices  are  for  a  great  part  put  together 
in  Abdias'  History  of  the  Apostles  (Fabricius,  Codex 
Apocr.  Novi  Test.,  I,  p.  402  seq).  In  the  Ebionite  Gos- 
pel (Epiphanius,  Hares,  xxx,  13)  we  also  read  of  the 
choice  of  the  apostles :  There  came  a  man  by  name 
Jesus,  and  He  was  about  thirty  years  old,  who  chose 
us.  And  when  He  came  to  Capernaum  He  entered 
into  the  house  of  Simon,  who  was  surnamed  Peter, 
and  opened  His  mouth  and  said :  As  I  passed  along 
the  Lake  of  Tiberius,  I  chose  John  and  James,  sons  of 
Zebedee,  and  Simon  and  Andrew,  and  Thaddaeus  and 
Simon  Zelotes,  and  Judas  Iscariot;  and  thee,  Matthew, 
I  called  as  thou  wert  sitting  at  th^  receipt  of  customs, 
and  thou  followedst  me.  You,  then,  I  wish  to  be  twelve 
apostles,  for  a  testimony  to  Israel. 

216 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

In  Luke  lo,  i,  we  read  also  of  seventy  other  disciples 
whom  Jesus  appointed.  Their  names  are  not  mentioned, 
and  Eusebius  (Hist.  Eccles.,  I,  12)  expressly  states  that 
we  have  no  catalog  of  the  seventy  disciples — which  is 
also  confirmed  by  Chrysostom.  Horn.  18  in  John.  But 
tradition  has  nevertheless  preserved  a  list  of  their 
names,  which  is  found  in  the  Bibliotheca  Maxima  Pat- 
rum,  III,  p.  421 : 

I.  James,  the  brother  of  the  Lord,  Bishop  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

2.  Cleophas,  a  cousin  of  Jesus,  who  accompanied 
Jesus  to  Emmaus,  successor  of  James. 

3.  Matthias  of  Bethlehem,  appointed  in  place  of  Judas 
Iscariot,  preached  the  Gospel  in  Ethiopia,  and  died  as 
martyr. 

4.  Thaddaeus,  disciple  of  Thomas,  who  carried  the 
epistle  of  Jesus  to  Edessa,  to  Abgarus,  and  became 
the  apostle  of  the  Syrians. 

5.  Ananias,  who  baptized  Paul,  bishop  of  Damascus. 

6.  Stephen,  the  first  martyr. 

7.  Philip,  one  of  the  seven  deacons  at  Jerusalem 
and  afterwards  bishop  of  Trallium,  in  Asia. 

8.  Prochorus,  one  of  the  seven  deacons  at  Jerusalem 
and  aftervv'ards  bishop  of  Nicomedia,  in  Bithynia. 

9.  Nicanor,  also  one  of  the  deacons,  who  died  when 
Stephen  suffered  martyrdom. 

ID.  Timon,  also  one  of  the  deacons  at  Jerusalem, 
bishop  of  Bostra  or  Beroea;  was  burned. 

11.  Parmenas,  also  a  deacon,  afterwards  bishop  of 
Sali. 

12.  Nicolaus,  also  a  deacon,  afterwards  bishop  of 
Samaria  and  apostate. 

13.  Barnabas,  companion  of  Paul,  afterwards  bishop 
of  Milan. 

217 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

14.  Mark,  the  evangelist,  together  with  Peter  at  Rome, 
founder  of  the  congregation  at  Alexandria,  a  martyr 
under  Nero. 

15.  Silas,  who  accompanied  Paul,  afterwards  bishop 
of  Corinth. 

16.  Luke,  the  evangelist  and  painter,  accompanied 
Paul,  died  in  Bithynia  or  Greece, 

17.  Silvanus,  accompanied  Paul  and  was  bishop  of 
Thessalonica. 

18.  Crescens,  who  helped  Paul,  preached  the  Gospel 
in  Galatia  (Gaul),  and  founded  the  church  at  Vienna. 

19.  Epsenetus,  bishop  of  Carthage. 

20.  Andronicus,  bishop  of  Pannonia,  or  Spain. 

21.  Amplias,  bishop  of  Odyssus. 

22.  Urbanus  of  Macedonia. 

23.  Stachys  of  Byzantium. 

24.  Apelles,  bishop  of  Heraclea. 

25.  Phygellus,  bishop  of  Ephesus,  who  followed  Simon 
Magus. 

26.  Hermogenes,  co-prisoner  with  Paul,  bishop  of 
Megara,  a  follower  of  Simon  Magus. 

27.  Demas,  companion  of  Paul,  apostate  and  priest  of 
idols. 

28.  Apelles,  bishop  of  Smyrna. 

29.  Aristobulus  of  Britain. 

30.  Narcissus  of  Athens. 

31.  Herodion  of  Tarsus. 

32.  Agabus,  the  prophet. 

33.  Rufus  of  Thebes. 

34.  Asvucritus  of  Hyrcania. 

35.  Plilcgon,  bishop  of  Marathon. 

36.  Hermes,  bishop  of  Dalmatia. 

37.  Patroban,  bishop  of  Puteoli  and  Naples. 

218 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

38.  Hermas,  bishop  of  Philippople. 

39.  Linus,  bishop  of  Rome. 

40.  Caius  of  Ephesus. 

41.  Philologus  of  Sinope. 

42.  Olympas. 

43.  Rhodion,  together  with  Peter  beheaded  at  Rome. 

44.  Lucius,  bishop  of  Laodicea  in  Syria. 

45.  Jason,  bishop  of  Tarsus. 

46.  Sosipater,  bishop  of  Iconium. 

47.  Tertius,  his  successor. 

48.  Erastus,  first  at  Jerusalem,  then  bishop  of  Panias. 

49.  Quartus,  bishop  of  Berytus. 

50.  Apollo,    first    at    Corinth,    afterwards    bishop    of 
Caesarea. 

51.  Cephas,    opposes    Paul    at    Antioch,    afterwards 
bishop  of  Conia. 

52.  Sosthenes,    chief    of    the     synagog    at     Corinth, 
afterwards  bishop  of  Colophon. 

53.  Tychicus,  bishop  of  Chalcedon. 

54.  Epaphroditus,  bishop  of  Andriace. 

55.  Caesar  of  Dyrrachium. 

56.  Marinus  of  Apollinias. 

57.  Jesus  Justus  or  Joses  Barsabas,  bishop  of  Eleu- 
theropolis. 

58.  Artemas  of  Lystra. 

59.  Clement  of   Sardica. 

60.  Onesiphorus  of  Coronea. 

62.  Carpus,    deacon    of    the    church    in    Berrhoa    iji 
Thrace. 

63.  Evodius  of  Antioch. 

64.  Aristarchus  of  Apamea,  in  Syria. 

65.  Mark,  who  is  also  John,  bishop  of  Biblus. 

66.  Zenas  of  Diospolis. 

219 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

67.  Philemon,  to  whom  Paul  wrote  his  epistle,  bishop 
of  Gaza. 

68.  Aristarchus,  the  companion  of  Paul. 

69.  Pudens,  beheaded  at  Rome  under  Nero. 

70.  Trophimus,  bishop  of  Arelate,  beheaded  at  Rome 
under  Nero. 


220 


SECTION  V 

Correspondence  of  Abgar  with  Jesus 

Abgarus,  Toparch  of  Edessa,  to  Jesus  the 
good  Savior  who  has  appeared  at  Jerusalem, 
sendeth  greeting. 

"  I  have  heard  about  Thee,  and  about  the 
heahng  which  is  wrought  by  Thy  hands  without 
drugs  and  roots.  For,  as  it  is  reported.  Thou 
makest  the  bhnd  to  see,  and  the  lame  to  walk; 
and  Thou  cleansest  the  lepers,  and  Thou  castest 
out  unclean  spirits  and  demons,  and  Thou 
healest  those  who  are  tormented  with  lingering 
diseases,  and  Thou  raisest  the  dead.  And  when 
I  heard  all  these  tilings  about  Thee,  I  settled  in 
my  mind  one  of  two  things:  either  that  Thou 
art  God,  who  hast  come  down  from  heaven,  and 
doest  these  things ;  or  that  Thou  art  the  Son  of 
God,  and  doest  these  things.  On  this  account, 
therefore,  I  have  written  to  beg  of  Thee  that 
Thou  wouldest  weary  Thyself  to  come  to  me, 
and  heal  this  disease  which  I  have.  For  I  have 
221 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

also  heard  that  the  Jews  murmur  against  Thee, 
and  wish  to  do  Thee  harm.  But  I  have  a  city, 
small  and  beautiful,  which  is  sufficient  for  two." 

Copy  of  those  tilings  which  were  written  by 
Jesus  by  the  hand  of  Hananias,  the  Tabelarius, 
to  Abgar,  sovereign  of  the  country : — 

"  Blessed  is  he  that  hath  believed  in  Me,  not 
having  seen  Me.  For  it  is  written  concerning 
Me,  that  those  who  see  Me  will  not  believe  in 
Me,  and  that  those  will  believe  who  have  not 
seen  Me,  and  will  be  saved.  But  touching  that 
which  thou  hast  written  to  Me,  that  I  should 
come  to  thee — it  is  meet  that  I  should  finish  here 
all  that  for  the  sake  of  which  I  have  been  sent; 
and,  after  I  have  finished  it,  then  I  shall  be  taken 
up  to  Him  that  sent  Me ;  and,  when  I  have  been 
taken  up,  I  will  send  to  thee  one  of  My  disciples, 
that  he  may  heal  thy  disease,  and  give  salvation 
to  thee  and  to  those  who  are  with  thee."  ^ 

^  These  letters  are  given  by  Eusebius  (Hist.  Eccles., 
I>  13))  who  professes  to  derive  them  from  Syrian  docu- 
ments preserved  at  Edessa,  and  quoted  by  Moses  Chor- 
enensis  (Hist.  Arm.,  II,  28).  The  letter  and  reply  are 
probably  as  old  as  the  third  century.  Comp.  Lipsius, 
Die  Edessenische  Abgar  sage,  1880. 


222 


SECTION  VI 

Protocoi,  of  the  council  held  at  Jerusa- 
lem TO  PUT  Jesus  to  death 

In  the  Neapolitan  city  Aquila  a  protocol  was 
discovered  beneath  a  rock  in  a  marble  chest; 
it  contains  the  minutes  of  a  council,  consisting 
of  twenty  magistrates,  held  at  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning Jesus;  written  in  Hebrew  letters.  The 
individual  members  thus  expressed  themselves :  ^ 

1.  Simon  Lepros:  By  what  right  is  a  rebel- 
lious man  condemned? 

2.  Rabam:  I  know  not  why  laws  are  made, 
when  they  are  not  kept. 

3.  Achias:  One  must  first  have  a  true  and 
correct  report  before  he  passes  a  sentence  of 
death. 

4.  Subath:  By  virtue  of  Divine  and  human 
statutes  no  one  should  be  condemned,  unless  he 
is  guilty.     Therefore,  what  has  this  man  done? 

*  See  Fabricius,  Codex  Apocryphus  Novi  Test.,  Ill, 
p.  487  seq. 

223 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

5.  Rosnophin:  Why  are  laws  made,  if  they 
are  not  kept? 

6.  Phutiphares:  An  impostor  is  not  good 
for  the  country,  by  whom  a  sedition  would  be 
made  among  the  common  people. 

7.  Ryphar:  The  statutes  only  punish  the 
guilty  ones;  therefore,  if  He  is  a  transgressor, 
make  Him  first  confess  His  own  deed,  without 
which  sentence  Him  not. 

8.  Joseph  of  Arimathsea:  O  how  shameful 
and  disdainful,  that  in  a  city  not  one  should  be 
found,  who  protects  the  innocent. 

9.  Joram:  Why  do  we  allow  this  righteous 
man  to  die  on  account  of  His  righteousness? 

10.  Ehiberis:  Though  He  be  righteous,  yet 
He  shall  be  killed;  because  the  common  people 
becomes  rebellious  by  His  speeches. 

11.  Nicodemus:  Does  our  law  judge  a  man 
before  he  is  heard  and  it  is  known  what  he 
does  ? 

12.  Diarabias :  Because  He  is  accused  before 
a  council.  He  is  worthy  of  death. 

13.  Sereas:  A  rebellious  man  is  detrimental 
to  the  country,  therefore  He  must  be  taken  from 
the  people. 

14).  Rabinth:  Whether   just   or   unjust,   be- 
224 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

cause  He  is  against  the    ancient    laws,  we    can 
neither  tolerate  nor  suffer  Him. 

15.  Josaphat:  Keep  Him  chained  with  iron 
chains  in  prison. 

16.  Ptolomy:  Since  He  is  neither  just  nor 
unjust,  why  do  we  tarry  so  long,  before  we  con- 
demn Him  to  death,  or  banish  Him  from  the 
country  ? 

17.  Jeras:  It  is  much  better  and  more  ad- 
visable to  remove  Him  from  the  country,  or  to 
send  Him  to  the  emperor. 

18.  Mesa:  If  He  is  just,  let  us  turn  ourselves 
to  Him;  but  if  He  be  unjust,  let  us  put  Him 
away  from  us. 

19.  Samech:  Let  us  have  peace,  that  He  re- 
sist us  not;  and  if  He  still  does  against  our 
will,  let  us  punish  Him  then. 

20.  Caiaphas:  You  all  know  not  what  you 
say:  it  is  expedient  for  us,  that  one  man  should 
die,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not. 

From  that  day  forth  they  took  counsel  to- 
gether for  to  put  Him  to  death. 


225 


SECTION  vn 

Sentence  peonounced   by  Pontius  Pilate, 

GOVERNOR  OF  LoWER-GaLILEE,  THAT  JeSUS 

OF  Nazareth  is  to  suffer  the  death  on 
the  cross 

In  connection  with  the  protocol  given  in  the 
former  section,  we  give  here  another  document, 
purporting  to  be  the  sentence  of  Pilate  on  Jesus. 
We  give  the  shorter  form.  Another  clumsy 
document  also  discovered  at  Aquila,  where  the 
preceding  was  found,  was  published  under  the 
title:  Tresor  admirable  de  la  sentence  de  Pilate 
contre  Jesus-Christ,  frouvee  miraculeusement, 
ecrite  sur  parchemin,  dans  la  ville  d* Aquila, 
traduit  de  Vitalien,  Paris  1581  (24  pages),  and 
another  edition,  1621  (16  pages),  and  une  reim- 
pression  facsimile,  1839,  a  la  Hbrairie  de  Te- 
chener.  The  document  was  found  in  a  marble- 
box,  incased  b"  one  of  iron  and  one  of  stone. 
Comp.  Fabricius,  Codex  Apocr.  Novi  Test, 
III,  p.  489  seq. 

226 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

The  shorter  document  was  found  in  1820,  and 
runs  as  follows: 

In  the  17th  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius 
Caesar,  and  on  the  25th  of  the  month  of  March, 
in  the  holy  city  of  Jerusalem,  when  Annas  and 
Caiaphas  were  cliief-priests  of  the  people,  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  governor  in  Lower  Galilee,  sitting  in 
the  chair  of  the  pretor,  sentences  Jesus  of  Naz- 
areth to  die  on  the  cross  between  tAvo  murderers. 
After  the  chief  of  the  people  and  notorious  wit- 
nesses say: 

1.  Jesus  is  a  seducer. 

2.  He  is  a  rebel. 

3.  He  is  an  enemy  of  the  law. 

4.  He  falsely  pretends  to  be  the  King  of 
Israel. 

5.  He  entered  into  the  temple,  followed  by  a 
multitude,  which  carried  palms  in  the  hands, 

Pilate  orders  the  first  centurion  Quirilus  Cor- 
nelius, to  lead  him  to  the  place  of  execution, 
forbidding  all  poor  or  rich  persons  to  prevent 
the  death  of  Jesus. 

The  witnesses  who  signed  the  sentence  against 
Jesus,  are: 

1.  Daniel  Robani. 

2.  John  Zorobabel. 

227 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

3.  Raphael  Robani. 

4.  Kapet. 

Jesus  will  pass  through  the  city  of  Jerusa- 
lem by  the  gate  Struene. 

Concerning  this  document,  Dr.  Thesmar  of 
Cologne  published  in  the  "  Neuen  preussischen 
Zeitung  "  of  September  28,  1849,  the  following 
from  the  French  journal  "  Le  droit." — "  The 
sentence  is  engraved  in  Hebrew  upon  a  bronze- 
plate,  on  the  side  of  wliich  the  words  are  found: 
"  a  similar  plate  is  sent  to  every  tribe."  The 
same  was  found  in  the  year  1820  in  the  city  of 
Aquileia  in  the  Kingdom  of  Naples  in  an  exca- 
vation of  Roman  antiquities,  and  was  afterwards 
discovered  by  the  commissaries  of  arts,  who  were 
in  the  suite  of  the  French  army  in  Italy.  At 
the  time  of  the  campaign  towards  Southern 
Italy,  it  was  preserved  in  a  sacristy  of  the  Car- 
thusians in  the  neighborhood  of  Naples,  closed 
up  in  a  chest  of  ebon3^  This  vase  is  since  then 
in  the  chapel  of  Caserta.  The  Carthusians  ac- 
complished by  their  petitions,  that  the  plate  was 
not  taken  from  them,  in  acknowledgment  mainly 
of  the  sacrifices,  which  they  had  brought  for  the 
French  army.  The  French  translation  is  faith- 
fully made  by  members  of  the  commission  of 
228 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

arts.  Denon  had  a  like  plate  made,  on  which 
the  sentence  was  engraved;  at  the  sale  of  his 
cabinet  it  was  procured  by  Lord  Howard  for 
2890  francs." 

When  mention  is  made  that  "  a  like  plate  was 
sent  to  each  tribe,"  it  agrees  with  the  statement 
of  Justin  (Dial,  with  Tryph.  108)  that  after 
the  death  of  Jesus  the  Jews  sent  messengers  into 
all  the  world  "  who  were  to  announce  that  a  new, 
lawless  sect  has  risen  from  a  Galilean,  Jesus,  a 
seducer."  And  Eusebius  (in  Esaiam  cap.  18) 
speaks  also  of  letters  which  the  Jews  sent  into 
all  parts  of  the  world,  which  were  full  of  invec- 
tives against  Jesus. -^  Hugo  Grotius  {ad  Act. 
xxviii,  22)  states  that  the  Jews  in  Worms  pre- 
serve a  copy  of  those  letters  in  their  syna- 
gogs.^  A  similar  letter  to  the  Jews  in  Ulm 
is  said  to  have  been  found  in  a  persecution  of 
the  Jews  in  the  year  1348.^ 

^  The  same  is  taken  from  Eusebius  by  Oecumenius  in 
Acta,  cap.  28,  praef.  in  epist.  ad  Romanos. 

*  Comp.   Toledoth  Jeshu,  p.  80  and  Huldrici's  notes, 
p.  82-86. 

•  Comp.  Schudt,  Jiidische  Geschichte,  p.  456. 


229 


SECTION  vin 

The  ceucifixion,   resurrection  and  ascen- 
sion OF  Jesus 

(The   Gospel   according   to   Peter.  )^ 

But  of  the  Jews  none  washed  his  hands, 
neither  Herod  nor  any  of  his  judges.  And  as 
they  would  not  wash  them,  Pilate  rose  and  then 

^  From  Origen,  Eusebius,  Theodoret  we  know  that 
there  once  existed  a  Gospel  according  to  Peter.  In  the 
year  1886  the  French  Archaeological  Mission,  Cairo,  dis- 
covered in  a  grave  in  an  ancient  cemetery  at  Akhmin 
(Panopolis),  in  Upper  Egypt,  an  important  fragment 
containing  the  part  of  the  Gospel  and  Revelation  of 
Peter,  and  a  fragment  of  the  Book  of  Enoch,  in  Greek 
The  fragment  was  published  in  1892  by  Mr.  Bouriant 
in  Mhnoires  publics  par  les  membres  de  la  mission 
archeol.  Franqaise  au  Caire,  ix,  i  (1892)  ;  comp.  ix,  3 
(1893).  Ever  since  the  Gospel  of  Peter  was  published 
by  different  scholars  of  Germany,  France,  Holland,  Eng- 
land. An  English  translation,  published  by  J.  A.  Rob- 
inson, Cambridge,  1892,  forms  the  basis  of  ours ;  the 
Greek  text  whi^h  we  followed  is  that  published  by  Nes- 
tle in  Novi  Test.  Grceci  Supplemcntum  (Lipsiae,  1896) 
and  Preuschen  in  Antilegoniena   (Giessen,  1901). 

230 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

King  Herod  commanded  to  seize  the  Lord,  say- 
ing to  them :  Whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you 
to  do,  do  unto  Him.  And  there  stood  Joseph  the 
friend  of  Pilate  and  of  the  Lord,  and  knowing 
that  they  would  crucify  Him,  he  went  to  Pilate 
and  asked  the  body  of  the  Lord  for  burial. 
And  Pilate  sent  to  Herod  and  asked  His  body. 
And  Herod  said :  "  Brother  Pilate,  even  if  no 
one  had  asked  for  Him,  we  should  have  buried 
Him,  for  the  Sabbath  is  coming,  and  it  is  written 
in  the  law,  that  the  sun  set  not  upon  one  that 
has  been  put  to  death."  And  he  delivered  Him 
to  the  people  on  the  day  before  the  unleavened 
bread,  their  feast. 

But  they  took  the  Lord  and  pushed  Him  as 
they  ran,  and  said:  Let  us  drag  away  the  Son 
of  God,  having  obtained  power  over  Him.  And 
they  put  a  purple  around  Him,  and  set  Him  upon 
the  scat  of  judgment,  saying:  Judge  right- 
eously, O  King  of  Israel.  And  one  of  them 
brought  a  crown  of  thorns  and  put  it  on  the 
head  of  the  Lord.  And  others  stood  by  and 
spat  in  His  face,  and  others  smote  His  cheeks, 
others  pricked  Him  with  a  reed,  and  some 
scourged  Him,  saying:  with  this  honor  let  us 
honor  the  Son  of  God. 

231 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

And  they  brought  two  malefactors,  and  cru- 
cified the  Lord  between  them.  But  he  was 
silent,  as  tho  having  no  pain.  And  having 
raised  the  cross,  they  wrote  the  title:  This  is 
the  King  of  Israel.  And  having  set  the  gar- 
ments before  Him,  they  parted  them  among  them 
and  cast  lots  for  them.  But  one  of  the  male- 
factors reproached  them,  saying:  We  thus  suf- 
fer for  the  evils  we  have  done.  But  what  wrong 
hath  He,  the  Savior  of  men  done  to  you?  And 
they,  being  angered  at  Him,  commanded  that 
His  legs  should  not  be  broken,  that  He  might 
die  in  torment. 

And  it  was  noon,  and  darkness  came  over  all 
Judea,  and  they  became  noisy  and  distressed, 
lest  the  sun  had  set,  whilst  He  was  yet  alive; 
for  it  is  written  for  them,  that  the  sun  set  not 
on  him  that  hath  been  put  to  death.  And  one 
of  them  said.  Give  Him  to  drink  gall  with  vine- 
gar. And  they  mixed  it  and  gave  Him  to  drink, 
and  fulfilled  all  things,  and  accomplished  their 
sins  against  their  own  head.  And  many  went 
about  with  lamps,  thinking  that  it  was  night, 
and  fell  down.  And  the  Lord  cried  aloud  and 
said:  My  power.  My  power.  Thou  hast  forsaken 
Me.  And  after  these  words  He  was  taken  up. 
232 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

And  in  that  hour  the  veil  of  the  temple  of  Jeru- 
salem was  rent  in  twain.  And  they  drew  out 
the  nails  from  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  and  laid 
Him  upon  the  earth;  and  the  whole  earth  trem- 
bled and  a  great  fear  arose.  And  the  sun  shone 
again,  and  it  was  found  the  ninth  hour.  And 
the  Jews  rejoiced  and  gave  His  body  to  Joseph 
for  burial,  since  he  had  seen  how  mich  good 
He  had  done.  And  he  took  the  Lord,  washed 
Him  and  rolled  Him  in  a  linen  cloth,  and  brought 
Him  into  his  own  tomb,  which  was  called  the 
Garden  of  Joseph. 

And  when  the  Jews  and  the  elders  and  the 
priests  perceived  what  evil  they  had  done  to 
themselves,  they  began  to  smite  themselves  and 
to  say:  Woe  for  our  sins,  the  judgment  and 
end  of  Jerusalem  is  near  at  hand.  And  I  with 
my  companions  was  grieved,  and  being  wounded 
in  mind  we  hid  ourselves ;  for  we  were  sought  for 
by  them  as  malefactors  and  as  such  who  would 
set  fire  to  the  temple.  And  on  account  of  all 
this  we  fasted  and  sat  mourning  and  weeping 
night  and  day  until  the  Sabbath.  And  the 
scribes  and  the  Pharisees  and  the  elders  met  with 
each  other,  when  they  heard  that  all  the  people 
murmured    and    beat    the    breasts    saying:  If 

233 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

by  His  death  these  most  mighty  signs  have  taken 
place,  see  how  righteous  He  is ;  they  were  afraid 
and  went  to  Pilate  beseeching  him  saying:  give 
us  soldiers,  that  we  may  guard  His  sepulcher  for 
three  days,  lest  His  disciples  come,  steal  Him  and 
the  people  suppose  that  He  rose  from  the  dead 
and  do  us  evil.  And  Pilate  gave  them  Petronius 
the  centurion  with  soldiers  to  guard  the  tomb. 
And  with  them  elders  and  scribes  came  to  the 
sepulcher,  and  with  the  centurion  and  the  sol- 
diers they  all  rolled  a  great  stone  and  set  it  at 
the  door  of  the  sepulcher,  and  affixed  seven  seals, 
and  having  pitched  a  tent  there,  they  kept 
watch. 

When  the  morning  of  the  Sabbath  was  draw- 
ing on,  a  multitude  came  from  Jerusalem  and 
the  region  round  about  in  order  to  see  the  sealed 
sepulcher.  And  in  the  night  in  which  the  Lord's 
day  was  drawing  on,  and  the  soldiers  kept  guard 
two  by  two  in  a  watch,  there  was  a  great  voice 
in  the  heaven,  and  they  saw  the  heavens  opened 
and  two  men  descending  from  thence  with  great 
splendor  and  approaching  the  tomb.  And  that 
stone  which  was  placed  before  the  door,  rolled 
of  itself  and  made  way  in  part,  and  the  tomb 
was  opened,  and  the  two  young  men  entered  in. 

234 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

When  those  soldic'-s  saw  it,  they  awakened 
the  centurion  and  the  elders — for  they  too  had 
remained  to  keep  watch.  And  when  they  had 
reported  what  they  had  seen,  they  see  again 
three  men  coming  forth  from  the  tomb,  and  the 
two  supported  the  one  and  a  cross  followed 
them,  and  the  heads  of  the  two  reached  into 
the  heavens,  whereat  the  head  of  Him  whom  they 
led  overpassed  the  heavens.  And  they  heard  a 
voice  from  the  heavens,  saying:  hast  Thou 
preached  to  them  that  sleep.''  and  the  answer 
was  heard  from  the  cross,  yea. — They  therefore 
considered  one  with  another  whether  to  go  away 
and  to  report  these  things  to  Pilate.  And  while 
thej'^  still  considered,  the  heavens  again  were 
seen  to  open  and  a  certain  man  to  descend  and 
enter  into  the  sepulcher.  When  the  centurion 
and  those  with  liim  saw  this,  they  hastened  in 
the  night  to  Pilate,  leaving  the  tomb  which  they 
were  watching,  and  reported  all  things  which 
they  had  seen,  being  greatly  distressed,  and  say- 
ing :  Truly  He  was  the  Son  of  God.  And  Pilate 
answered  and  said:  I  am  pure  from  the  blood 
of  the  Son  of  God ;  you  have  thus  decided.  Then 
they  all  came  near  and  besought  him  and  en- 
treated him  to  command  the  centurion  and  the 

235 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

soldiers  to  say  to  no  one  ..f  the  things  which 
they  had  seen:  For  it  is  better,  say  they  for 
us  to  commit  the  greatest  sin  before  God,  and 
not  to  faU  into  the  hands  of  the  people  of  the 
Jews  and  to  be  stoned.  And  Pilate  commanded 
the  centurion  and  the  soldiers  not  to  divulge 
anything. 

Early  on  the  Lord's  day  Mary  Magdalen,  a 
disciple  of  the  Lord,  for  fear  of  the  Jews, — 
since  they  were  burning  with  wrath,  had  not 
done  at  the  Lord's  sepulcher  the  things  which 
women  are  wont  to  do  for  their  beloved  dead, — 
took  her  friends  with  her  and  came  to  the  sepul- 
cher where  He  was  laid.  And  they  feared  lest 
the  Jews  should  see  them,  and  they  said :  though 
we  could  not  weep  and  lament  on  the  day  on 
which  He  was  crucified,  let  us  now  do  these 
things  at  His  sepulcher.  But  v,ho  shall  roll  away 
for  us  the  stone  wliich  is  at  the  door  of  the  sepul- 
cher, that  we  may  enter  in  and  sit  by  Him  and 
do  the  things  that  are  due.''  For  the  stone  was 
great  and  we  feared  lest  some  one  see  us.  And 
if  we  cannot,  yet  if  we  but  set  at  the  door  the 
things  wliich  we  bring  for  a  memorial  of  Him, 
we  will  weep  and  lament  until  we  come  unto  our 
home. 

236 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

But  they  went  and  found  the  tomb  opened, 
and  coming  near  they  looked  in  there;  and  they 
see  there  a  certain  young  man  sitting  in  the 
midst  of  the  tomb,  beautiful  and  clothed  in  a 
robe  exceeding  bright,  who  said  to  them: 
wherefore  are  ye  come?  Whom  seek  ye?  Per- 
haps the  one  who  was  crucified?  He  is  risen  and 
gone.  And  if  ye  believe  not,  look  in  and  see 
the  place  where  He  lay,  that  He  is  not  here; 
for  He  is  risen  and  gone  thither,  whence  He 
was  sent.     Then  the  women  feared  and  fled. 

Now  it  was  the  last  day  of  the  unleavened 
bread  and  many  went  forth  and  returned  to 
their  homes,  as  the  feast  was  ended.  We,  how- 
ever, the  twelve  disciples  of  the  Lord  wept  and 
were  grieved,  and  each  one,  being  grieved  for 
that  which  had  taken  place,  returned  to  his 
home.  But  I  Simon  Peter  and  Andrew  my 
brother,  took  our  nets  and  went  to  the  sea ;  and 
with  us  went  Levi  the  son  of  Alphaeus,  whom 
the  Lord     .     .     . 


237 


SECTION  IX 

Letters  of  Pilate  to   Claudius 

(Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  ch.  29.) 

Pontius  Pilate  to  Claudius  his  king,  greet- 
ing. It  has  lately  happened,  as  I  myself  have 
also  proved,  that  the  Jews,  through  envy,  have 
punished  themselves  and  their  posterity  by  a 
cruel  condemnation.  In  short,  when  their  fathers 
had  a  promise  that  their  God  would  send  them 
from  heaven  His  holy  one,  who  should  deservedly 
be  called  their  king,  and  promised  that  He  would 
send  Him  by  a  virgin  upon  the  earth:  when, 
therefore,  while  I  was  procurator.  He  had  come 
into  Judea,  and  when  they  saw  Him  enlightening 
the  blind,  cleansing  the  lepers,  curing  the  para- 
lytics, making  demons  flee  from  men,  even  rais- 
ing the  dead,  commanding  the  winds,  walking 
dryshod  upon  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  doing 
many  other  signs  of  miracles ;  and  when  all  the 
people  of  the  Jews  said  that  He  was  the  Son 
of  God,  the  chief  priests  felt  envy  against  Him, 
238 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

and  seized  Him,  and  delivered  Him  to  me;  and, 
telling  me  one  lie  after  another,  they  said  that 
He  was  a  sorcerer,  and  was  acting  contrary  to 
their  law. 

And  I  believed  that  it  was  so,  and  delivered 
Him  to  be  scourged,  according  to  their  will.  And 
they  crucified  Him,  and  set  guards  over  Him 
when  buried.  And  He  rose  again  on  the  third 
day,  while  my  soldiers  were  keeping  guard.  But 
so  flagrant  was  the  iniquity  of  the  Jews,  that 
they  gave  money  to  my  soldiers,  sajang.  Say 
that  His  disciples  have  stolen  His  body.  But 
after  receiving  the  money  they  could  not  keep 
secret  what  had  been  done ;  for  they  bore  witness 
both  that  He  had  risen  again,  that  they  had 
seen  Him,  and  that  they  had  received  money 
from  the  Jews. 

Tliis  accordingly  I  have  done,  lest  any  one 
should  give  a  different  and  a  false  account  of 
it,  and  lest  thou  shouldst  think  that  the  lies  of 
the  Jews  are  to  be  believed.^ 

*  This  letter  is  also  to  be  found  in  the  Acts  of  Peter 
and  Paul  in  the  Greek  form.  The  above,  taken  from  the 
Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  represents  the  larger  Latin  Form 
of  the  Epistola  Pilati;  in  a  shorter  Latin  Form  it  reads 
as  follows,  according  to  Thilo's  text  in  his  Codex 
Apocryphus,  pp.  8oi,  802 : 

239 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 


Pontius  Pilate,  Procurator  of  Judcea,  to  Tiberius  Ccesar, 
Emperor 

Concerning  Jesus  Christ, — on  whom  in  my  last  com- 
munication I  made  a  plain  declaration  to  you,  that 
severe  punishment  was  inflicted  by  desire  of  the  people, 
I  being  unwilling  and  reluctant, — no  previous  age  had 
or  will  have  a  man,  by  Hercules,  so  pious,  so  (morally) 
austere.  But  here  arose  a  wonderful  effort  of  the  people 
jitself,  and  a  concurrence  of  the  scribes  and  chiefs  and 
elders  (although  their  prophets,  who  according  to  us 
would  be  called  Sibyls,  warned  against  it),  to  crucify 
this  ambassador  of  truth,  supernatural  signs  making 
their  appearance  while  he  was  suspended  (on  the  cross), 
such  as  threatened,  in  the  opinion  of  philosophers,  ruin 
to  the  whole  world.  His  disciples  flourish,  not  proving 
untrue  in  work  and  continuance  of  life  to  their  master; 
nay,  being  most  beneficent  in  his  name.  Unless  I  had 
been  in  the  utmost  fear  lest  a  sedition  should  arise  of 
the  people  who  were  almost  boiling  over,  perchance  that 
man  would  still  live  for  us.  Although  fidelity  to  your 
dignity,  rather  than  my  own  will,  prevented  my  oppos- 
ing with  all  my  strength  the  sale  and  suffering  of  just 
blood,  void  of  any  accusation,  merely  through  the  malig- 
nity of  men  (and)  yet  (to  eventuate),  as  the  Scriptures 
make  plain,  in  their  own  destruction.  Farewell. — v.  Cal. 
April. 


240 


SECTION  X 

Repoet  of  Pilate  to  Tiberius  Caesae. 

Pontius  Pilate,  administering  the  Eastern 
government,  to  Tiberius  Caesar,  most  powerful 
and  sacred.^ 

I  have  thought  proper,  filled  (as  I  am)  with 
much  fear  and  trembling  most  powerful  king, 
to  indicate  by  this,  my  own  writing,  to  your 
practical  piety,  the  contingency  (to  nature)  of 
this  date  as  the  event  made  it  known. 

While  I,  O  master,  according  to  the  command 
of  thy  serenity  was  administering  this  eparchy, 
which  is  one  of  the  eastern  cities  called  Jerusa- 
lem, in  which  is  situated  the  temple  of  the  Jew- 
ish race,  the  whole  multitude  of  the  Jews  being 
assembled,  delivered  to  me  a  man  named  Jesus, 

^  The  title  of  this  document  is  Anaphora  of  Pilate,  and 
is  extant  in  two  Greek  forms,  see  Thilo,  1.  c,  pp.  804- 
812.  In  Syriac  and  Arabic,  together  with  an  English 
translation,  the  Anaphora  is  published  in  the  Studia 
Sinaitica  v  (Apocrypha  Sinaitica)  ed.  by  M.  I.  Gibson, 
London,  1896. 

241 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

bringing  many  and  unusual  accusations  against 
Him,  but  they  were  not  able  by  any  statement 
to  convict  Him.  There  was  one  party  of  them 
(who  charged)  against  Him  that  He  said  the 
Sabbath  was  not  their  true  rest.  That  man 
performed  many  cures  in  addition  to  good  works. 
He  made  the  blind  see,  purified  lepers,  raised  the 
dead,  healed  paralytics  who  were  totally  unable 
to  move,  except  that  they  retained  speech,  and 
the  articulation  of  their  bones,  and  He  gave 
them  power  to  walk  about  and  run,  imparting 
it  by  a  mere  word.  He  did  another  more  power- 
ful work,  which  was  strange  even  for  our  gods 
(to  perform)  :  He  raised  from  the  dead  a  certain 
Lazarus,  dead  since  the  fourth  day,  command- 
ing by  a  word  only  the  dead  man  (whose  body 
was  already  destroyed  by  worms  and  vermin) 
to  awake,  and  He  commanded  that  foul-smelling 
body  which  was  lying  in  the  sepulcher  to  run 
and  this  (dead  man),  like  a  bridegroom  from 
his  chamber,  came  out  of  the  sepulcher  filled  with 
the  most  fragrant  perfume.  And  certain  help- 
lessly insane  wlio  had  their  dwelling  in  the  des- 
erts eating  flesh  of  their  own  limbs,  fellow-livers 
with  the  reptiles  and  wild  beasts,  (these)  He 
placed  as  inhabitants  of  cities  in  their  own 
242 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

houses,  and  by  a  mere  word,  exliibited  them  in 
their  sound  mind  and  intelligent ;  and  others, 
in  whom  were  a  crowd  of  unclean  spirits,  He 
made  to  be  men  of  repute,  and  driving  out  the 
demons  who  were  in  them  into  the  sea,  in  a  herd 
of  swine.  He  choked  them.  Also  by  a  mere  word 
He  rendered  sound  another  man  who  had  a 
withered  hand,  who  with  pain  acquired  his  liv- 
ing, not  ever  having  the  half  of  his  body  sound. 
Also  a  woman  who  had  a  flow  of  blood  for  a 
great  length  of  time,  so  that  because  of  it  the 
joints  of  her  bones  were  visible,  and  the  body 
which  she  carried  round  had  hardly  a  human 
appearance,  but  looked  like  alabaster,  and  as 
if  it  were  a  dead  body  because  of  her  loss  of 
blood,  for  all  physicians  proclaiming  her  hope- 
less, paid  no  attention  to  her,  for  there  was  no 
hope  of  preservation  in  her.  Then  as  Jesus 
was  passing,  she  receiving  strength  from  His 
shadow,  touched  the  hem  of  His  garments,  and 
in  the  same  hour  the  strength  of  her  body  was 
restored,  and  she  became  sound  as  one  who  had 
had  no  disease,  and  began  to  run  at  full  speed 
to  her  own  city  Paneas. 

And  these  things  were  as  narrated,  but  the 
Jews  charged  that  Jesus  did  these  things  on  the 

243 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Sabbath.  But  I  know  wonderful  things  done 
by  Him  beyond  what  the  gods,  whom  we  recog- 
nize, perform. 

Herod  therefore,  and  Archelaus,  and  Philip, 
and  Annas,  and  Caiaphas,  with  the  whole  peo- 
ple, delivered  this  man  to  me  for  examination, 
stirring  up  much  tumult  against  me  as  regarded 
tlieir  accusations  against  Him.  At  first  scourg- 
ing Him,  I  found  no  fault  in  the  matters  which 
they  charged  against  Him.  Afterwards,  I  gave 
Him  again  to  them,  and  they  had  crucified  Him 
when  a  darkness  occurred  over  the  whole  world, 
the  fuU-orbed  sun  being  hidden,  and  the  firma- 
ment of  darkness  appearing  in  day  time  (so  that 
the  stars  were  not  visible),  but  nevertheless  hav- 
ing its  far-shining  brilliancy  darkened  as  is 
not  unknown  to  your  highness  since  in  the 
whole  world  they  lighted  lamps  from  the 
sixth  hour  until  early.  And  the  moon  being  as 
blood  did  not  disappear  during  the  whole  night, 
although  she  was  full.  And  the  whole  world  was 
shaken  by  unheard  of  pxjrtents,  and  the  whole 
creation  was  about  to  be  swallowed  up  by  the 
underworld;  likewise  the  veil  of  their  temple 
was  rent  from  above  downwards  as  thunder  and 
244 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

a  great  noise  from  heaven  occurred  so  that  the 
earth  shook  and  trembled. 

In  the  midst  of  the  fright  dead  persons  ap- 
peared rising  up.  As  the  Jews  themselves,  who 
had  seen,  stated:  That  we  have  seen  Abraham, 
and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  the  twelve  patri- 
archs, those  that  died  twenty-five  hundred 
years  ago,  and  many  others ;  and  we  saw 
Noah  visibly  in  the  body.  But  the  stars 
and  Orion  made  lamentation  on  account  of 
the  Jews,  because  of  their  lawlessness.  And 
after  the  Sabbath,  about  the  third  hour  of 
the  night,  the  sun  became  visible  as  it  never 
shone  before,  and  the  whole  heaven  was 
bright.  And  as  winter  lightnings  make  their 
appearance,  thus  certain  men  on  high,  of  bril- 
liant clothing  and  of  inexpressible  glory,  ap- 
peared in  the  air,  and  an  unnumbered  multitude 
of  angels,  calling  out :  The  crucified  Christ,  who 
is  God,  has  arisen.  And  a  voice  was  heard, 
powerful  as  thunder,  saying:  Glory  in  the  high- 
est to  God  and  upon  ^ earth  peace,  among  men 
good-will.  Ascend  from  the  underworld,  you 
who  have  been  enslaved  in  its  subterranean 
regions.    And  at  their  cry  all  the  mountains  and 

245 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

hills  were  shaken,  and  the  rocks  were  rent,  and 
mighty  chasms  took  place  in  the  earth,  so  that 
the  contents  of  the  abyss  were  visible.  And  many 
bodies  of  the  dead  who  had  fallen  asleep  arose, 
to  the  number  of  five  hundred.  And  the  whole 
multitude  walked  around  and  hymned  God  with 
a  loud  voice  saying :  He  who  rose  from  the  dead, 
the  Lord  our  God,  restored  to  life  all  of  us 
dead,  and  plundering  the  underworld,  destroyed 
it. 

The  whole  of  that  night,  therefore,  O  royal 
master,  the  light  did  not  cease,  but  many  of 
the  Jews  died  and  were  engulfed  and  swallowed 
up  in  the  chasms  on  that  night,  so  that  their 
bodies  were  not  visible.  Those  of  the  Jews  I 
mean  0  master,  had  disappeared  who  spoke 
against  Jesus.  One  synagog  was  left  in  Jeru- 
salem, since  all  those  synagogs  that  had  been 
against  Jesus  were  swallowed  up. 

From  that  fear,  then,  being  in  perplexity,  and 
seized  with  much  trembhng,  at  that  same  hour 
I  ordered  what  had  been  done  by  the  Jews 
against  Jesus  to  be  written,  and  I  sent  it  to  your 
mightiness.^ 

^  It  is  said  that  when  Pilate's  writings  were  read  to  the 
emperor,  he  was  filled  with  anger,  sent  soldiers,  and 
246 


MISCELLANEOUS  RECORDS 

ordered  them  to  bring  Pilate  a  prisoner.  The  latter  is 
tried  and  condemned  at  Rome,  as  is  narrated  in  the 
Paradosis  or  Surrender  of  Pilate. 


247 


PART  IV 

SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


249 


INTRODUCTION 

The  newly  discovered  "  Sayings "  or 
"  Logia "  at  Behnesa  in  Middle  Egypt  have 
more  than  a  passing  interest.  They  bring  be- 
fore us  the  fact  that,  besides  the  sayings  of  Jesus 
recorded  in  the  canonical  gospels,  there  were  also 
current  uncanonical  or  extra-canonical  sayings 
reported  by  authors  who  did  not  derive  them 
from  the  Gospels,  but  from  sources  which  are 
now  lost.  The  first  who  made  a  collection  of 
such  extra-canonical  sayings  was  J.  E.  Grabe, 
who  in  his  Spicilegium  SS.  Patrum  et  Haere- 
ticorum  (Oxford  1698)  published  a  collection 
of  eleven  Dicta  aliqua  Jesu  Christi  quae  in  IV 
Evangeliis  non  extant,  ex  S.  Lucae  Actis  Apos- 
tolorum,  Barnabae  Epistola,  aliisque  Patribus. 
He  was  followed  by  J.  A.  Fabricius,  who  in  his 
Codex  Apocryphus  Novi  Testamenti  (Hamburg 
1703)  published  sixteen  extra-canonical  dicta 
Christi,  to  which  he  added  a  few  more  in  the 
third  part  of  his  codex  (1719).  In  1776  J.  C. 
Korner  issued  his  De  sermonibus  Christi    aypdipois- 

251 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

(Lipsiae),  in  which  the  term  agrapha  is  first 
used,  and  16  such  agrapha  are  given.  In  1839 
Fr.  Klopper  pubhshed  in  his  dicta  Christi  apoc- 
rypha (in  Kieler  Theol.  Mitarbeiten,  ed.  Pelt) 
24  dicta.  Since  that  time  collections  of  agrapha 
were  published  by  different  writers.  We  men- 
tion: 

Hofmann,  R.,  Leben  Jesu  nach  den  Apo- 
Tcryphen  (Leipzig  1851). 

Bunsen,  Ch.  K.  J.,  Analecta  Antenicaena 
(London  1856). 

Westcott,  B.  F.,  Introduction  to  the  Study  of 
the  Gospels  (London  1860;  Boston  1867). 

Dodd,  J.  T.,  Sayings  ascribed  to  our  Lord 
hy  the  Fathers  and  other  primitive  writers  (Ox- 
ford and  London,  1874). 

Schaff,  Ph.,  History  of  the  Christian  Church, 
vol.  I.  (New  York  1882). 

Pick,  B.,  The  Life  of  Jesus  according  to  extra- 
canonical  sources  (containing  25  sayings,  New 
York,  1887). 

Resch,  A.,  Agrapha.  Ausserkanonische  Evan- 
gelienfragmente  (Leipsic  1889,  being  part  of 
the  fifth  vol.  of  Texte  und  Untersuchungen 
edited  by  von  Gebhardt  and  Harnack — a  very 
"  thesaurus  "). 

252 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


Barnes,  W.  E.,  Canonical  and  uncanonical 
Gospels  (London  1893,  wortliless  for  our  pur- 
pose). 

Ropes,  J.  H.,  Die  Spriiche  Jesu  die  in  den 
Kanonischen  Evangelien  nicht  iiberliefert  sind: 
eine  Kritische  Bearheitung  des  von  D.  Alfred 
Resch  gesammelten  Materials,  (Leipsic  1896, 
forming  part  of  the  fourteenth  volume  of 
Texte). 

Nestle,  E.,  Novi  Testamenti  Graeci  Supple- 
mentum  (Lipsiae  1896,  containing  also  the 
Fayoom-Fragment ) . 

Jackson,  B.,  Twenty-Five  Agrapha  (London 
1900,  referring  for  the  first  time  to  the  newly- 
discovered  Logia). 

Preuschen,  E.,  Antilegomena.  Die  Reste  der 
ausserJcanonischen  Evangelien  und  urchrist- 
lichen  Ueberlieferungen  (Giessen  1901,  con- 
taining besides  the  Fayoom-Fragment,  also  the 
newly-discovered  Logia). 

With  the  exception  of  the  last  two  works 
none  of  the  above  mentioned  refers  to  the  newly 
discovered  Oxyrhynchus  Logia  which,  as  soon  as 
they  were  published  by  B.  P.  Grenfell  and  A. 
S.  Hunt  (London  1897),  became  productive  of 
a  number  of  articles  and  pamphlets  in  the  Eng- 

253 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

lish,  German,  Dutch,  French  and  Italian  lan- 
guages. Of  the  numerous  writings  v/e  mention 
the  following  which  have  come  to  our  notice : 

German. 

Blass,  Evangelische  Kirchenzeitung,  1897, 
498fF. 

Harnack,  Ueber  die  jiingst  entdeckten 
Spriiche  Jesu,  Freiburg,  1897 ;  see  also  Robin- 
son in  Expositor  1897,  pp.  321-340;  401-416; 
417-441. 

Heinrici,  Theologische  Literaturzeitung, 
1897  p.  449fF. 

Holtzmann,  Neue  Spriiche  Jesu  in  Protest. 
Monatshefte  1897,  385fF. 

Zahn,  Theologisches  Literaturblatt,  1897, 
417fF. ;  see  also  Lutheran  Church  Review  1898, 
no.  1. 

Esser,  Die  neu  aufgefundenen  Spriiche  Jesu 
in  Der  Katholik,  1898,  Jan.,  Febr. 

Weiss,  Neue  Logia  in  Theolog.  Rundschau 
I,  1898,  pp.  227-235. 

Scholz,  Zu  den  Logia  Jesu  in  Theolog. 
Quartalschrift  1900,  I.  pp.  1-22. 


254 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


English. 

Berlin,  The  Logia  in  Jewish  Quarterly  Re- 
view, 1897  p.  190. 

Coburn,  The  recently  discovered  Sayings  of 
Christ  in  Homiletic  Review,  1897  pp.  505-10. 

Cotton,  The  Logia  not  Pantheistic  in  Biblia, 
Novbr.  1897. 

Cross,  The  Sayings  of  Jesus  (Expositor, 
1897  pp.  257-267). 

Fisher,  The  New  Logia  of  Jesus  (Exposi- 
tory Times,  1897  pp.  140-143). 

Harris,  The  Logia  and  the  Gospels  (Con- 
temporary Review,  1897  pp.  341-348). 

Jacobs,  On  the  New  Logia  (Jewish  Quart. 
Review,  1897,  pp.  185-190). 

Jacobus,  The  newly  discovered  Sayings  of 
Jesus  (Hartford  Seminary  Record,  VHI,  5-17). 

James,  The  new  Sayings  of  Christ  (Con- 
temporary Review,  1897,  pp.  153-160). 

Lock  and  Sanday,  Two  lectures  on  the  Sayings 
of  Jesus  recently  discovered,  London  1897. 

Rawnsley,  Sayings  of  Jesus:  six  village  ser- 
mons on  the  Papyrus  Fragment,  London  1897. 

Redpath,  The  so-called  Logia  and  their  rela- 

255 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

tion  to  the  canonical  scriptures  (Expositor  1897 
pp.  224-230). 

Selbie,  The  recently  discovered  Logia  (Ex- 
pository Times,  1897,  pp.  68-69). 

Wright,  the  new  sayings  of  Jesus  (Biblio- 
theca  Sacra,  1897,  pp.  759-770). 

Abbott,  The  Logia  of  Behnesa  (American 
Journal  of  Theology,  January  1898). 

Taylor,  The  Oxyrhynchus  Logia  and  the 
Apocryphal  Gospels,  Oxford  1899. 

Besides  see  Independent  (New  York  1897, 
July  22;  August  12,  19,  26;  September  2,  9, 
23;  Novbr.  25;  1898,  May  26). 

Dutch 

Rhijn,  Nieuwe  woorden  van  Jesus  in  Theol. 
Studien,  1898,  pp.  403-414. 

French 

Batiffol,  Les  logia  du  papyrus  de  Behnesa 
(Revue  bibl.  1897,  pp.  501-515). 

Lataix,  Une  nouvelle  serie  d'Agrapha  (Revue 
d'histoire  et  de  literature  religieuse,  1897  pp. 
433-438). 

Aubert,  Les  nouveaux  Logia  de  Jesus   (Li- 
berte  chret.  1898  pp.  103-115). 
256 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


Bruston,  Les  paroles  de  Jesus  recemment  de- 
couvertes  en  Egypte  et  remarques  sur  le  texte  du 
fragment  de  I'evangile  de  Pierre,  Paris  1898. 

Cersoy,  Quelques  remarques  sur  les  logia  de 
Bchnesa  (Revue  biblique,  1898,  pp.  415-420). 

Cersoy,  Un  mot  sur  la  deuxieme  sentence  du 
papyrus  decouvert  en  1897  a  Behnesa  (L'Uni- 
versite  Catholique,  1898  pp.  150-153). 

Trabaud,  Les  nouvelles  paroles  de  J^sus 
(Revue  de  theol.  et  de  phil.  1898,  pp.  74-84). 

Jacquier,  Les  sentences  de  Jesus  decouvertes  a 
Behnesa  (L'Universite  Catholique,  1899  pp. 
161-183). 

Italian. 

Chiapelli,  Le  nuova  parole  di  Gesu  scoperte 
in  un  papiro  egizio  (Nuova  Anthologia,  xxxii, 
fasc.  19). 

We  have  arranged  the  material  under  differ- 
ent heads,  excluding  the  newly  discovered  gospel 
of  Peter,  which  contains  nothing  that  concerns 
us  here,  but  including  the  Fayoom  Gospel-Frag- 
ment. 

As  to  the  Fayoom  Gospel-Fragment,  which 
was  first  published  by  Bickell  in  Zeitschrift  fiir 
Kathollsche  Theologie,  1885,  p.  498ff ;  1886,  p. 
208ff  (see  also  Mitteilungen  aus  der  Sammhing 

257 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

des  Erzh.  Rainer  I  (1887),  p.  53fF,  v.  (1892), 
p.  78ff;  Harnack,  TTieol.  Literaturzeitung, 
1885,  No.  12;  Texte  und  Untersuchungen,  v. 
4,  p.  483fF;  Zahn,  Kanon  II,  781ff ;  Resch  in 
Texte  u  Untersuchungen,  x,  2  (1894),  p.  28, 
thinks  that  it  forms  a  part  of  the  Gospel  of  the 
Egyptians. 

Whether  all  of  these  sayings,  especially  those 
given  under  the  head  of  "  Scattered  Sayings," 
and  forming  by  far  the  most,  have  any  value  or 
not,  is  very  difficult  to  decide.  Scholars  are  here 
at  variance.  That  the  number  of  such  sayings 
might  yet  be  increased,  is  without  doubt;  new- 
discoveries  may  yet  be  made  in  the  future.  How- 
ever this  may  be,  the  present  collection  is  the 
first  in  the  English  language  which  contains  the 
largest  number  of  extra-canonical  sayings,  ar- 
ranged in  the  f oUo'ving  manner : 

I.  From  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians.^  Nos. 
1,2. 

II.  From  the  Gospel  according  to  the  He- 
brews.2     Nos.  3-12. 

*Comp.   Harnack,  Altchristliche  Litteraturgeschichte, 

1,  i2ff;    Zahn,  Gcschichte    des    N cutest.    Kanons,    II., 

2,  p.  628ff. 

*  Harnack,  p.  28off,  Zahn,  p.  642ff. 
258 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


III.  From  the  Gospel  of  the  Ebionites.^   Nos. 
13-16. 

IV.  From  the  Gospel  of  Matthias."    Nos.  17- 
20. 

V.  From  the  Gospel  of  Philip.'^     No.  21. 

VI.  From  the  Gospel  of  Thomas.^     No.  22. 

VII.  From    the    Fajoom    Gospel-Fragment. 
No.  23. 

VIII.  From  the  Gospel  of  Eve.     No.  24. 

IX.  From  the  Gospel  of  John  at  Paris.   Nos. 
25,  26. 

X.  From  the  Preaching  of  Peter.     Nos.  27, 
28. 

XI.  The  Oxyrhynchus  Logia.     Nos.  29-35. 

XII.  Scattered  Sayings.     Nos.  36-118. 
Among  the  "  Scattered  Sayings,"  one   (No. 

100)  is  found  in  the  Apostolic  Church  Ordi- 
nances, which  must  be  distinguished  from  the 
Apostolic  Constitutions.  The  tract  was  first 
published  in  Greek  from  a  Vienna  MS.  by  Bick- 
ell  {Geschichte  des  Kirchenrechts,  vol.  I.  Gies- 
sen,  1843,  pp.  107-132),  and  is  extant  in  Cop- 
tic, Ethiopic,  Syriac  and  Arabic.     It  is  printed 

'  Zahn,  p.  724ff. 
*Zahn,  p.  75 iff. 
'Zahn,  p.  761  ff. 
•Harnack,  p.  isff;   Zahn,  p.  768ff. 

259 


EXTRA-CANONICAI.  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

in  the  prolegomena  to  Bryennius'  ed.  of  the 
Didache,  p.  72 ;  Hilgenfeld,  Novum  Test,  extra 
canonem  receptum,  Leipsic,  1866,  fasc.  iv,  pp. 
93-106;  ed.  altera,  1884,  pp.  110-121;  and 
Harnack,  Lehre  der  zwolf  Apostel,  pp.  225- 
237;  Funk,  Doctrina  XII  apostolorum,  Tu- 
bingen, 1887,  pp.  50-73.  Comp.  Achelis,  Apos- 
toUsche  Kirclienordniing  in  Herzog-Hauck, 
RealencyJilopddie  filr  protestantische  Theologie 
und  Kirche,  3d  ed.  vol.  I  (1896),  pp.  730-734. 

An  interesting  Coptic  papyrus  fragment 
brought  from  Cairo,  and  now  in  the  University 
Library  of  Strasburg,  was  published  in  1900  by 
Adolf  Jacoby,  Ein  neues  Evangellenfragment. 
It  is  in  too  torn  a  condition  to  be  satisfactorily 
deciphered,  and  it  is  difficult  to  say  whether  it 
gives  part  of  a  gospel  or  is  of  the  nature  of 
commentary  or  meditation.  It  refers  to  the 
Agony  and  to  the  Ascension.  Possibly  a  genu- 
ine saying  may  be  enshrined  in  the  phrase  ren- 
dered by  Jacoby:  [I  have]  revealed  to  you  all 
my  glory  and  I  have  told  you  all  [its]  power 
and  the  mystery  of  your  apostleship." 

But  comp.  the  review  of  Jacoby's  work  in 
Theolog.  Literaturzeitung,  1901,  col.  74ff. 

To  some  of  the  sayings  we  have  added  a  few 
260 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


notes,  but  no  commentary  was  intended.  Many 
of  the  sayings  sometimes  included  among  the 
Agrapha  are  mere  variations  or  loose  quota- 
tions of  sayings  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  e.  g. 
"  All  things  whatsoever  thou  mayest  wish  not  to 
befall  thee,  be  not  thou  a  doer  of,  to  another  " 
{Didache,  I,  2).  This  is  obviously  a  mere  varia- 
tion of  Matt,  vii,  12,  and  Luke  vi,  31.  With  this 
saying  in  the  Didache  comp.  the  Apology  of 
Theophilus  of  Antioch  (II,  34),  and  "what 
thou  hatest,  thou  shalt  not  do  to  another " 
(Clem.  Alex.  Stromata,  II,  23).  We  have  not 
quoted  from  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas,  ch.  4: 
"  The  Son  of  God  says.  Let  us  resist  all  iniquity 
and  hold  it  in  hatred,"  though  it  is  mentioned 
by  Grabe,  Fabricius,  Korner,  Bunsen,  Westcott 
et  al.  This  saying  seems  to  have  originated  in  a 
clerical  error  in  the  Latin  translation  Sicut 
dicit  filius  Dei,  "  as  the  Son  of  God  says  *  for 
sicut  decet  filiis  Dei '  as  becometh  the  sons  of 
God,"  as  in  the  Greek  text  6>r  Trpiiru  moig-  ©cov 
See  the  edition  of  Barnabae  Epistula,  by  Geb- 
hardt  and  Harnack  in  Pair.  Apost.  Op.  I,  14. 
It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  Fabricius 
{Codex  apocr.  N.  T.  I,  p.  330)  regarded  as  an 
agraphon  what  is  now  found  in  the  text  of  West- 
261 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

cott-Hort  in  Luke  x,  41 :  oXtywov  8e  icrnv  XP"<* 
Tj  cvo?  i.  e.  "  but  few  things  are  needful  or  one," 
instead  of  "  but  one  thing  is  needful "  of  the 
textus  receptus.  We  have  also  omitted  the  fol- 
lowing, which  is  found  in  the  Apostolic  Consti- 
tution, viii,  12 :  "as  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread 
and  drink  this  cup,  ye  show  forth  my  death 
until  I  come."  The  same  we  find  in  1  Cor.  xi, 
26,  only  that  Paul  uses  the  third  person  instead 
of  the  first.  On  this  account  it  has  been  urged 
that  the  passage  in  1  Cor.  xi,  26,  contains  St. 
Paul's  words.  But  it  has  also  been  urged  that 
the  passage  as  it  stands  in  the  Apostolic  Con- 
stitutions, being  quoted  in  early  Liturgies  in 
the  first  person,  is  proof  of  the  view  of  an  early 
period  of  the  Church  that  it  was  a  saying  of  the 
Lord's.  Thus  the  Liturgy  of  St.  Mark  (ed. 
Neale  and  Littledale,  p.  23 )  reads :  "  For  as 
often  as  ye  eat  tliis  bread  and  drink  this  cup  ye 
show  forth  my  death,  and  confess  my  resurrec- 
tion and  ascension  until  I  come."  Whether  we 
have  here  a  saying  of  the  Lord  or  words  of  Paul 
which  by  a  sliglit  change  formed  the  basis  for  the 
Liturgies,  is  difficult  to  teU.  The  former  seems 
to  be  the  view  of  Jackson,  the  latter  that  of 
Ropes. 

262 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


Whether  all  of  these  following  sayings  will 
be  accepted  as  genuine  or  not  is  a  matter  which 
cannot  be  decided,  and  differences  of  opinion 
will  and  must  exist.  The  pardonable  hyperbole 
of  the  conclusion  of  St.  John's  Gospel,  whether 
his  own  postscript  or  the  addition  of  a  nearly 
cotemporary  editor,  suggests  the  consciousness 
of  the  end  of  the  first  century  that  the  known 
material  was  not  exhausted  in  known  writings. 
True,  that  the  early  reception  of  the  canonical 
gospels  in  the  church  precluded  the  possibility 
of  a  successful  rivalry  of  oral  tradition,  but  it 
could  not  be  prevented  that  numerous  other  gos- 
pels were  circulated,  which  were  read  in  certain 
Christian  circles,  like  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyp- 
tians, the  Gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews,  the 
Gospel  of  Thomas,  et  al.  These  gospels  contain 
much  matter  that  is  important  and  valuable,^ 

'  That  even  Marcion's  gospel  has  its  value  and  is  im- 
portant, may  be  seen  from  the  many  pages  devoted  to 
that  gospel  in  Zahn's  work  on  the  Canon  of  the  New 
Test.  A  very  interesting  or  rather  curious  reading  we 
find  by  Marcion  in  Luke  xi,  2,  where  the  second  petition 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer  reads :  "  Thy  Holy  Spirit  come 
upon  us  and  purify  us."  This  reading  is  not  peculiar  to 
Marcion  alone.  We  find  it  also  by  Gregory  of  Nyssa, 
I.  P-  72>7>  and  Maximus  Confessor,  I,  p.  350,  also  in  cod. 
700  evv.    (Gregory),  ed.  Hoskier,   1890,  p.  32:  .<4  full 

263 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

whereas  the  so-called  apocryphal  gospels,  with 
the  exception  of  the  address  of  Jesus  in  the 
History  of  Joseph,  contain  almost  nothing  that 
could  be  used  ^or  our  purpose,  except  perhaps 
the  few  words :  Jesus  says  "  Moses  and  the 
prophets  have  proclaimed  beforehand  of  my 
death  and  resurrection  "  in  the  Gospel  of  Nico- 
demus,  ch.  4.  On  this  account  our  collection 
contains  nothing  from  the  apocryphal  gospels. 

That  we  have  quoted  from  the  Codex  Bezae 
or  D  cannot  be  surprising.  Says  Prof.  Nestle: 
As  the  text  of  B  N  {i.  e.  cod.  Vaticanus  und  Si- 
naiticus)  under  the  influence  of  Tischendorf  and 
Westcott-Hort  has  dislodged  the  textus  receptus 
of  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth  centuries  from 
the  hands  of  the  theologians,  and  at  the  end  of 
the  nineteenth  century  became  the  textus  receptus 
itself,  thus  codex  D  despised  hy  the  builders  may 
perhaps  become  the  foundation  stone  of  a  new 
building  {Einfilhrung  in  das  Griechische  Neue 
Testament,  2d  ed.  1899,  p.  191;  Engl,  transl. 
"  Introduction  to  textual  criticism  of  Greek 
New  Testament,"  by  Wm.  Edie,  with  a  preface 
by  A.  Menzies,  London,  Williams  &  Northgate, 

account  and  collation  of  the  Greek  cursive  cod.  Ev. 
604.    (The  latter  number  is  that  given  by  Scrivener.) 

264 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


1901.),  Our  text  of  the  New  Testament  is  not 
yet  so  settled  as  many  think.^  The  late  Dean 
Burgon,  who  condemned  codd.  N  and  B  as  the 
most  corrupt  of  MSS.  was  not  the  only  one  who 
wrote  against  the  text  of  Westcott-Hort  (comp. 
The  revision  revised  in  Quarterly  Review,  1881 
and  1882;  2d  ed.  London,  1885),  Hayman, 
Bousset,  Godet,  Jiilicher,  Dobschiitz  also  took 
part  in  the  controversy  so  that  such  a  scholar 
as  von  Gebhardt  is  obliged  to  say :  "  If  these 
censures  are  authorized,  the  firm  ground  which 
at  last  seemed  to  have  been  obtained  for  the 
text  of  the  New  Testament,  becomes  vacillating 
anew  "  (art.  Biheltext  des  Neuen  Testaments  in 
Herzog  RE,  3d  ed.,  vol.  II,  p.  766).  The  re- 
cently discovered  Logia  lead  us  to  hope  that  more 
may  be  expected.  Many  sayings  which  at  the  first 
glance  may  seem  to  be  only  variations  of  New 
Testament  passages,  may  prove  to  be  genuine  in 
the  end.  We  have  not  as  yet  a  critical  edition 
of  the  ecclesiastical  writers,  but  a  beginning  has 

^  As  an  instance  we  refer  to  the  reading  in  Luke  x, 
41,  formerly  regarded  by  Fabricius  as  an  agraphon,  now 
found  in  the  text  of  Westcott-Hort.  An  interesting 
reading  in  D  is  Matt.  vi.  8 :  "  for  your  Father  knoweth 
what  things  ye  have  need  of,  before  ye  open  the  mouth," 
instead  of  "  before  ye  ask  Him." 

265 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

already  been  made  with  the  publication  of  such  an 
edition.  An  examination  of  the  different  writers 
cannot  be  the  work  of  one  man.  The  late  de 
Lagarde  collected  no  less  than  29,540  New  Testa- 
ment citations  from  Augustine's  works ;  and  the 
British  Musemn  contains  sixteen  large  volumes 
of  citations  from  patristic  writings  wliich  the  late 
Dean  Burgon  left  in  MS. 

At  the  end  v»'e  inserted  a  few  sayings  found  in 
Mohammedan  writings.  Some  are  found  by 
Fabricius,  1.  c.  I,  p.  365ff ,  and  by  Hofmann,  pp. 
327-329.  The  latter  refers  to  Levinus  War- 
nerus  in  notis  ad  Centuriara  Proverbiorum  Per- 
sicorum,  proverb  61,  p.  30  seq.  Lugd.  Batav., 
1644.  The  best  collection  according  to  Ropes 
is  by  Margoliouth  in  Expository  Times,  Novbr., 
Decbr.,  1893;  Jan.,  1894  (vol.  V,  pp.  59,  107, 
177ff),  where  forty-eight  sayings  are  given  from 
different  sources.  A  few  of  these  sayings  with 
notes  were  published  by  K.  W.  Lock  in  the 
Expository  4th  series,  vol.  9, 1894,  pp.  97-99. 


266 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


From  the  Gospel  of  the  Egyptians 

1.  To  the  question  of  Salome:  "How  long 
shall  death  reign  ?  "  The  Lord  answered :  "  As 
long  as  ye  women  give  birth." — Clem.  Alexand., 
Stromata,  III,  6;   Excerpta  ex  Theodoto,  §  67. 

"For  I  came  to  make  an  end  to  the  works  of 
the  woman."— Ibid.  Ill,  9. 

Then  Salome  said  to  Him :  "  Then  I  have  done 
well  that  I  have  not  given  birth."  To  this  the 
Lord  replied :  "  Eat  of  every  herb,  but  the  bitter 
one  eat  not." — Ibid.  HI,  9. 

When  Salome  asked  when  it  shall  be  known 
what  she  asked,  the  Lord  said :  "  When  you  tread 
under  foot  the  covering  of  shame,  and  when  out 
of  Two  is  made  One,  and  the  male  with  the  fe- 
male, neither  male  nor  female." — Ibid.  Ill,  13. 
The  words  "  when  out  of  Two,"  etc.,  are  also 
found  in  Clem.  Rom.,  Epist.  II,  12. 

2.  (The  Sabellians  refer  in  favor  of  their  doc- 
trine to  a  saying  of  Christ  recalled  unto  His  dis- 
ciples) :  "  The  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  one  and  the  same." — Epiphan., 
Haeres,  Ixii,  2. 

267 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

II 

From  the  Gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews 

3.  In  the  Gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews 
.  .  .  it  is  narrated:  Lo  the  mother  of  the 
Lord  and  His  brethren  said  to  Him:  John  the 
Baptist  is  baptizing  for  the  remission  of  sins; 
but  let  us  go  and  be  baptized  by  him.  But  He 
said  to  them,  "  in  what  have  I  sinned  that  I 
should  go  and  be  baptized  by  him,  unless  per- 
adventure  what  I  have  said  is  ignorance?  " 

Jerome  adv.  Pelag.,  Ill,  2.  To  this  event  no 
doubt  a  passage  in  Pseudo-Cyprian  De  rebaptis- 
mate,  ch.  xvii,  seems  to  refer,  where  we  read :  in 
the  book  inscribed  the  "  Preaching  of  Paul " 
thou  shalt  find  contrary  to  all  Scriptures,  both 
Christ  confessing  His  own  sin — although  He 
alone  did  no  sin  at  all — and  was  almost  compelled 
by  His  mother  unwillingly  to  receive  John's  bap- 
tism. Ropes  regards  our  saying  as  an  "  apoc- 
rypha." But  says  Jackson :  "  The  saying  seems 
indeed  to  preserve  a  testimony  to  the  sinlessness. 
What  more  natural  than  that  the  Blessed  Virgin 
and  the  brethren  of  the  Lord  should  have  ap- 
proached Him  on  the  subject  of  the  Baptism  of 
268 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


John,  when  multitudes  were  being  baptized  in 
the  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins?  "  (Matt,  iii, 
6).  What  more  natural  than  that  He  should 
have  replied :  "  This  Baptism  is  not  for  Me :  I 
have  no  sins  to  confess :  you  can  convict  Me  of 
no  sin  except  if  that  be  sin,  which  it  is  not — My 
consciousness  of  being  guilty  of  none?  "  What 
more  natural  than  that  the  brethren  should  have 
preserved  the  tradition  ?  In  fact  this  saying,  or 
its  germ,  enshrines  the  Lord's  own  comment  on 
the  narrative  of  the  Evangelists.  He  comes  from 
Galilee  to  the  banks  of  Jordan,  to  John,  with  the 
intention  of  being  baptized  by  him,  but  not  with 
the  herd,  and  as  they  came  "  numbered  "  as  He 
was,  "  among  transgressors,"  and  "  made  sin  " 
for  them.  He  would  fulfil,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
becoming  to  Him,  as  to  all  of  us,  "  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness,  etc.,"  and  to  submit  to  every  ordi- 
nance, as  when  the  Virgin  mother  performed  the 
Purification.  But  He  would  be  careful  to  let 
His  own  people  know  that  this  submission  in- 
volved no  confession.  He  was,  as  TertuUian 
phrases  it,  "  nullius  poenitentias  debitor "  {De 
Bapt.,  xii).  The  Baptist  recognized  this  excep- 
tional character  of  the  mightier  and  worthier, 
though  he  did  not  yet  see  all  that  it  involved 
269 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

(John  i,  31,  S3),  and  so  strove  earnestly  to  hin- 
der the  quasi-submission  which  in  a  moment,  in 
obedience  to  his  Lord's  command,  he  conceded." 
(p.  50fF). 

4.  If  any  one  should  lend  credence  to  the  Gos- 
pel according  to  the  Hebrews  where  the  Savior 
Himself  says :  "  My  Mother,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
took  Me  just  now  by  one  of  My  hairs  and  car- 
ried me  off  to  the  great  Mount  Tabor."  Origen 
on  John,  ii,  6;  Jerem.  xv,  4;  Jerome  on  Mic. 
vii,  6;  Isaiah,  xl,  9;  Ezekiel,  xvi,  13.  In  his 
commentary  on  Isaiah,  xl,  9,  Jerome  remarks 
that  no  one  should  be  offended,  because  in  the 
Hebrew  the  word  "  Spirit "  (i.  e.  ruach)  is  of 
feminine  gender,  and  in  our  language  (i.  e.  the 
Latin),  it  is  masculine,  and  in  the  Greek  neuter; 
for  in  the  Godhead  there  is  no  gender. 

5.  In  the  same  volume  (i.  e.  the  Gospel  accord- 
ing to  the  Hebrews) :  "  when  thy  brother  has 
sinned  against  thee  with  a  word,  and  has  satisfied 
thee,  thou  shalt  receive  him  again  seven  times 
in  a  day."  Said  to  Him  Peter  His  disciple: 
"  seven  times  in  a  day  ?  "  The  Lord  answered 
and  said  to  him :  "  but  I  say  unto  thee  also 
seventy  times  seven  times.     For  in  the  prophets 

270 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


also  the  word  sin  is  found,  after  they  were 
anointed  with  the  holy  Spirit." 

Jerome  adv.  Pelag.,  Ill,  2.  The  last  clause 
is  also  found  in  a  Greek  scholion  to  Matt,  xviii, 
S2,  in  cod.  evv.  566. 

6.  It  is  written  in  a  certain  gospel,  which  is 
styled  "  according  to  the  Hebrews,"  if  any  one 
pleases  to  receive  it,  not  as  an  authority,  but  as 
an  illustration  of  the  subject  before  us.  "  An- 
other rich  man  said  to  Him :  *  Master,  what  good 
thing  shall  I  do  to  live .?  *  He  said  to  him :  *  O 
man,  fulfil  the  laws  and  the  prophets.'  He  re- 
plied :  '  I  have  fulfilled.'  He  said  to  him :  *  Go, 
sell  all  that  thou  possesseth,  and  distribute  to  the 
poor,  and  come,  follow  Me.'  But  the  rich  man 
began  to  scratch  his  head,  and  it  did  not  please 
him.  And  the  Lord  said  to  liim :  *  How  sayest 
thou,  I  have  fulfilled  the  law  and  the  prophets, 
since  it  is  written  in  the  law :  "  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor  as  thj^self :  "  and  lo !  many  of  thy 
brethren,  sons  of  Abraham,  are  clothed  in  filth, 
dying  of  hunger,  and  thy  house  is  full  of  maiiy 
goods,  and  nothing  at  all  goes  out  of  it  to  them.'' ' 
And  turning  to  Simon,  His  disciple,  who  was 
sitting  by  Him,  He  said : '  Simon,  son  of  Jonas, 
271 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  enter  the  eye  of  a  needle 
than  for  a  rich  man  (to  enter)  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.'  "  ^ 

7.  The  Gospel  entitled  "  according  to  the  He- 
brews "  which  I  lately  translated  into  Greek  and 
Latin,  and  which  Origen  often  quotes,  contains 
the  following  narrative  after  the  Resurrection: 
"  Now  the  Lord  when  He  had  given  the  cloth  to 
the  servant  of  the  priest,  went  to  James  and  ap- 
peared to  him.  For  James  had  taken  an  oath 
that  he  would  not  eat  bread  from  that  hour  on 
which  he  had  drunk  the  cup  of  the  Lord,  till  he 
saw  Him  risen  from  the  dead."  Again,  a  little 
afterward  the  Lord  says :  "  Bring  a  table  and 
bread."  Immediately,  it  is  added,  "  He  took 
bread  and  blessed,  and  brake,"  and  gave  it  to 
James,  the  Just,  and  said  to  him :  "  My  brother, 
eat  My  bread,  for  the  Son  of  Man  has  risen  from 
*  among  them  that  sleep.'  " — Jerome,  de  viris 
illustr.,  II. 

8.  For  I  know  and  believe  that  after  His  res- 
urrection He  lived  in  the  flesh.  For  when  the 
Lord  came  to  Peter  and  to  the  apostles.  He  said 
to  them :  "  Lay  hold,  handle  Me,  and  see  that  I 
am  not  an  incorporeal  spirit."     And  immediately 

*  Origen  in  Matt.  (Latin)  xv,  14. 
2'J2 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


they  touched  Him,  and  believed,  being  both  con- 
vinced by  His  flesh  and  spirit. — Ignatius  ad 
Smyrn.  Ill;  Jerome,  1.  c,  xvi. 

The  latter  remarks  (Comm.  in  Isa.,  xviii, 
pref.)  that  according  to  the  Gospel  which  the 
Nazarenes  call  that  of  the  Hebrews,  the  apostles 
believed  Jesus  to  be  "  an  incorporeal  demon." 
Eusebius  (Hist.  Eccles.,  Ill,  36)  remarks  that  he 
knows  not  whence  these  words  are  taken.  Origen 
{de  princ.  I,  proem.  8)  speaks  of  a  passage  in 
that  book  which  is  called  the  "  Doctrine  of 
Peter,"  and  where  the  Savior  said  to  the  disci- 
ples :  "  I  am  not  an  incorporeal  demon." 

9.  In  the  Gospel  according  to  the  Hebrews, 
which  the  Nazarenes  used  to  read,  it  belongs  to 
the  greatest  offenses  when  "  one  has  afflicted  the 
spirit  of  his  brother." — Jerome  on  Ezek.  xviii,  7. 

10.  As  we  also  read  in  the  Hebrew  Gospel: 
The  Lord  said  unto  His  disciples :  "  Never  be 
joyful,  except  when  ye  have  seen  your  brother  in 
love." — Jerome  on  Ephes.  v,  4.  This  saying  is 
placed  by  Resch  among  the  apocrypha,  but  is 
regarded  by  Ropes  as  genuine. 

11.  The  cause,  therefore,  of  the  divisions  of 
souls  that  came  to  pass  in  houses  (Christ)  Him- 
self taught,  as  we  have  found  in  a  place  in  the 

273 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

Gospel  existing  among  the  Jews  in  the  Hebrew 
language,  in  which  it  is  said :  "  I  will  select  to 
Myself  these  things;  very  very  excellent  are 
those  whom  My  Father  who  is  in  heaven  has 
given  Me." — Eusebius,  Theophania  Syriaca  (ed. 
Lee,  IV,  13,  p.  234). 

12.  As  it  is  written  in  the  Gospel  to  the  He- 
brews :  "  He  that  wonders  shall  reign,  and  he 
that  has  reigned  shall  rest." — Clem.  Alex.  StrO" 
mata,  II,  9. 

Some  authorities  regard  this  saying  as  genu- 
ine, others  as  spurious.  The  same  idea  we  find 
in  the  following  saying :  "  He  who  seeks  will  not 
stop  till  he  find ;  and  having  found,  he  will  won- 
der; and  wondering,  he  wiU  reign;  and  reign- 
ing he  will  rest." — Ibid.  v.  14. 

Ill 

From  the  Gospel  of  the  Ebionites 

13.  And  then  (it  continues)  John  fell  down 
before  Him  and  said :  "  I  beseech  Thee,  Lord, 
do  Thou  baptize  me."  But  He  forbade  him,  say- 
ing :  "  Suffer  it,  for  thus  it  is  becoming  that  all 
things  be  fulfilled." — Epiphanius,  Haeres.  xxx, 
13. 

274 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


14.  "  I  came  to  abolish  sacrifices,  and  unless  ye 
cease  from  sacrificing,  the  wrath  (of  God)  will 
not  cease  from  you." — Ibid,  xxx,  16. 

15.  When  it  was  told  to  Him :  Behold  Thy 
mother  and  Thy  bretliren  stand  without,  the 
Savior  said:  who  is  My  mother  and  brethren? 
And  stretching  forth  His  hand  towards  His  dis- 
ciples. He  said :  "  These  are  ]\Iy  brethren  and 
mother  and  sisters,  who  do  the  will  of  My  Fa- 
ther."— Ibid,  xxx,  14. 

16.  "  Have  I  earnestly  desired  to  eat  this 
flesh,  the  Passover,  with  you.''  " — Ibid,  xxx,  22. 

IV 

From  the  Gospel  or  Paradosis  of  Matthias 

17.  As  Plato  says  in  his  Theaetetus,  and  Mat- 
thias exhorting  in  the  Traditions  says :  "  Wonder 
at  what  is  before  you ;  "  laying  this  down  first  as 
the  foundation  of  further  knowledge. — Clem. 
Alex.  Stromata,  II,  9. 

18.  "  The  flesh  must  be  contended  with,  and 
evil  entreated,  and  its  unbridled  lust  must  in  no 
wise  be  yielded  to,  but  the  soul  must  be  made  to 
grow  through  faith  and  knowledge." — Ibid.  Ill, 
4 ;  comp.  Euseb.  Hist.  Eccles.,  Ill,  29. 

275 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

19.  They  say  in  the  traditions  that  Matthias 
constantly  said,  that  "  if  the  neighbor  of  an  elect 
man  sin,  the  elect  man  has  sinned.  For  had  he 
conducted  himself  as  the  word  prescribes,  his 
neighbor  also  would  have  been  filled  with  such 
reverence  for  the  life  he  led  as  not  to  sin." — Ibid. 
VII,  13. 

20.  Zacchffius,  according  to  others,  Matthias, 
chief  of  the  tax  collectors,  when  he  heard  how  the 
Lord  wished  to  come  to  him,  said:  "Behold, 
Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods  I  give  to  the  poor; 
and  if  I  have  taken  from  any  man  by  false  ac- 
cusation, I  restore  him  fourfold."  Of  him  said 
the  Lord :  "  The  Son  of  Man  came  to-day  and 
found  that  which  was  lost." — Ibid.  IV,  6. 


From  the  Gospel  of  Philip 

21.  "  The  Lord  revealed  to  me  what  the  soul 
ought  to  say  when  she  mounts  to  heaven,  and 
what  answer  she  should  give  to  each  of  the  higher 
powers :  '  I  have  known  myself,  and  gathered 
myself  together,  and  begotten  no  children  for 
the  Archon  of  this  world,  but  have  torn  up  his 
roots,  and  gathered  the  scattered  members,  and  I 
276 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


know  thee,  and  who  thou  art.  For  I  also  am 
descended  from  the  upper  world.  By  speaking 
in  this  manner,  she  is  dismissed.  But  if  she  is 
found  to  have  begotten  a  son,  she  is  kept  below, 
until  she  is  able  to  take  up  her  children  and  to 
draw  them  to  herself." — Epiphan.  Haeres.  xxvi, 
13. 

VI 

From  the  Gospel  of  Thomas 

22.  "  He  who  seeks  me  will  find  me  in  children 
after  their  seventh  year,  for  there — to  become 
concealed  in  their  fourteenth  year — I  am  mani- 
fested."— Hippolyt.,  Philosophumena,  v,  7. 

VII 

The  Fayoom  Gospel-Fragment 

23.  .  .  .  Before  I  depart  ye  all  will  be 
offended  in  this  night  according  to  the  Scrip- 
ture: I  will  smite  the  shepherd  and  the  sheep 
shall  be  scattered  abroad.  But  Peter  said :  and 
if  all  (do)  it,  yet  not  I.  But  the  Lord  said: 
"  the  cock  will  crow  twice,  and  thou  shalt  be  the 
first  to  betray  Me  thrice." 

277 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

VIII 

From  the  Gospel  of  Eve 

24.  "  I  stood  on  a  high  hill  and  saw  a  tall  and 
a  short  man,  and  heard  a  voice  as  of  thunder, 
and  I  drew  near  to  hearken;  and  it  spoke  to 
me :  "  I  am  thou,  and  thou  art  I,  and  where  thou 
art  there  am  I  also ;  and  in  all  things  am  I  sown. 
And  from  whencesoever  thou  gatherest  me,  in 
gathering  me  thou  gatherest  thyself." — Epiph- 
an.,  Haeres.,  xxvi,  3.  It  has  been  suggested  by 
some  that  the  fifth  of  the  newly  discovered  say- 
ings refers  to  this  Gospel  of  Eve. 

IX 

From  the  Gospel  of  John  at  Paris 

25.  Lifting  up  His  hands,  Jesus  said  to  His 
disciples:  behold  the  hour  is  come  to  drink  the 
cup,  which  the  Father  has  given  Me  to  drink.  I 
go  again  to  My  Father  who  has  sent  Me ;  and  I 
say  to  you  again ;  I  send  you,  keep  My  command-; 
ments.  Teach  what  I  have  taught  you,  that  the 
world  may  know  it;  therefore  receive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  whosoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  re- 

278 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


mitted  unto  them,  and  whosoever  sins  ye  retain, 
they  are  retained.  Ye  have  heard  what  I  said 
unto  you :  I  am  not  of  this  world,  the  Comforter 
is  among  you,  teach  through  the  Comforter.  A8 
the  Father  has  sent  Me,  so  do  I  send  you.  Verily, 
I  say  unto  you,  I  am  not  of  this  world ;  but  John 
shall  be  your  father,  till  he  shall  go  with  Me  into 
the  paradise.  And  He  anointed  them  with  the 
Holy  Ghost. — This  addition  to  John  xvii,  26,  is 
from  a  codex  of  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  preserved 
in  the  archives  of  the  Templars  of  St.  John  of 
Jerusalem  in  Paris,  and  given  by  Thilo  Codex 
Apocryphus  Novi  Testamenti,  p.  880. 

26.  He  says  to  His  mother,  weep  not ;  I  go  to 
My  Father  and  to  eternal  life,  behold  thy  son! 
he  will  keep  My  place.  Then  saith  He  to  the 
disciple,  Behold  thy  mother !  Then  bowing  His 
head.  He  gave  up  the  Ghost. — 1.  c.  John  xix,  26- 
30. 

X 

From  the  Preaching  of  Peter 

27.  Therefore  says  Peter  that  the  Lord  said 
to  the  apostles :  "  If  any  one  of  Israel,  then, 
wishes  to  repent,  and  by  My  name  to  believe  in 
God,  his  sins  shall  be  forgiven  him.  After  twelve 

279 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

years  go  forth  into  the  world,  that  no  one  may 
say,  we  have  not  heard." — Clem.  Alex.,  Stro- 
mata,  vi,  5.  Eusebius  (Hist.  Eccles.,  v,  18) 
mentions  that  Apollonius  refers  to  the  tradition 
that  our  Lord  commanded  His  apostles  not  to 
leave  Jerusalem  for  twelve  years  after  His  ac- 
cension.  The  translation  "  his  sins  shall  be  for- 
given him  after  twelve  years,"  as  found  in  the 
Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  vol.  II,  p.  490,  is  nonsense. 

28.  Accordingly  in  the  "  Preaching  of  Peter," 
the  Lord  says  to  the  disciples  after  the  resurrec- 
tion: "  I  have  chosen  you  twelve  disciples,  judg- 
ing you  worthy  of  Me." — Ibid,  vi,  6. 

XI 

Sayings  newly  discovered  at  OxyrTiynchos 

29.  And  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  cast  out 
the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye. — This  say- 
ing agrees  exactly  with  the  text  of  Luke,  except 
for  the  position  of  the  verb  which  is  at  the  end 
(Luke  vi,  42)  ;  comp.  also  Matt  vii,  5. 

30.  Jesus  saith  "  Except  ye  fast  to  the  world, 
ye  shall  in  no  wise  find  the  kingdom  of  God ;  and 
except  ye  sabbatize  the  Sabbath,  ye  shall  not  see 

280 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


the  Father. — Harnack  thinks  that  the  "  fast- 
ing "  is  evidently  meant  in  an  ascetic  sense,  ac- 
cording to  Luke  xiv,  33.  Accordingly,  too,  the 
observance  of  the  Sabbath,  in  accordance  with 
the  usage  of  this  term  in  primitive  Christianity, 
means  the  sanctification  of  this  whole  life  (comp. 
Justin  Martyr,  Dialogue  with  Trypho,  ch.  xii; 
TertuUian  adv.  Judaeos,  iv).  With  this  the  edi- 
tors of  the  "  Sayings,"  Grenfell  and  Hunt  as 
well  as  other  scholars  agree.  Zahn  thinks  that 
the  second  clause  refers  only  to  the  celebration 
of  the  appointed  Jewish  Sabbath-day. 

31.  Jesus  saith:  "  I  appeared  in  the  midst  of 
the  world,  and  in  the  flesh  was  I  seen  of  them,  and 
I  found  all  men  drunken,  and  none  found  I 
athirst  among  them ;  and  my  soul  grieveth  over 
the  sons  of  men  because  they  are  blind  in  their 
heart  and  of  a  dull  heart  (or  according  to  Har- 
nack: heart  and  see  not  their  poverty)^ — Har- 
nack regards  the  introductory  portion  as  hardly 
authentic,  but  as  apocalyptic. 

32.  Jesus  saith,  wherever  there  are  .  .  . 
and  there  is  one  .  .  .  alone,  I  am  with  him. 
Raise  the  stone  and  there  thou  shalt  find  Me; 

*  Harnack  connects  the  only  word  decipherable  in  the 
fourth  legion  (i.  e.  poverty)  with  the  third. 

.      281 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

cleave  the  wood  and  there  am  I. — The  first  part 
of  this  saying  is  very  defective  in  the  MS.,  and 
has  given  rise  to  numerous  conjectures.  HarnacJc 
reads :  "  Jesus  saith,  wherever  these  may  be, 
there  they  are  not  without  God,  and  just  as  one 
is  alone,  in  this  manner  I  am  with  him."  Blass 
reads  thus :  "  Wheresoever  there  be  two,  they  are 
not  godless ;  and  where  there  is  one  only,  I  say, 
I  am  with  him."  An  interesting  parallel  to  this 
part  of  the  saying  is  found  in  Ephraem  Syrus. 
Evang.  Concord,  ewpositio  (ed  Mosinger),  p. 
165;  Christus  .  .  .  dicens:  Ubi  unus  est, 
ibi  et  ego  sum;  .  .  .  et  ubi  duo  sunt,  ibi 
et  ego  ero;  .  ,  .  et  quando  tres  sumus 
quasi  in  ecclesiam  coimus.  As  to  the  meaning  of 
this  logion  it  is  now  agreed  upon  to  be  this: 
Christ  is  with  the  believer  when  He  is  alone,  and 
when  engaged  in  disagreeable  or  laborious  oc- 
cupation, as  hewing  stones  and  cleaving  wood. — 
Whether  this  logion  stands  in  connection  with 
the  Gospel  of  Eve  (see  above  No.  24)  or  not, 
scholars  differ. 

33.  Jesus  saith,  a  prophet  is  not  acceptable  in 

his  own  country,  neither  doth  a  physician  work 

cures  upon  them  that  know  him. — The  first  part 

is  found  in  all  four  of  the  Gospels,  but  its  text  is 

282 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


most  closely  conformed  to  that  of  Luke  (iv,  24). 
The  second  part  is  new,  but  it  is  quite  possible 
that  it  is  genuine. 

34.  Jesus  saith :  a  city  built  upon  the  top  of 
a  hish  hill  and  established  can  neither  fall  nor 
be  hid. — Harnack  regards  this  as  a  secondary 
formation  from  the  thought  of  Matt,  v,  14. 
Zahn  regards  this  logion  also  as  a  combination 
c^f  canonical  words,  viz.  Matt,  v,  14  with  vii,  24fF, 
or  Luke  vi,  47fF. 

35.  Jesus  saith:  Thou  hearest  with  one  ear 
(but  the  other  ear  hast  thou  closed). — The  at 
first  undecipherable  logion  is  thus  restored  by 
Swete. 

XII 

Scattered  Sayings 

36.  And  to  remember  the  words  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  how  He  Himself  said :  "  It  is  more  blessed 
to  give  than  to  receive." — Acts  xx,  35.  In  the 
Didache  (i,  5)  these  words  appear  as  "  Happy 
is  he  that  giveth  according  to  the  commandment. 
In  the  Apost.  Constit.,  iv,  3,  this  saying  occurs 
as  "  since  even  the  Lord  says  '  The  giver  was 
happier  than  the  receiver.'  '*     In  Clem.  Rom., 

283 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

ad  Corin.,  1,  2,  we  find  it  under  the  form :  "  more 
gladly  giving  than  receiving."  Epiphanius 
(Haeres.,  Ixxiv,  5),  quotes  the  saying:  "  It  is  a 
good  tiling  to  be  a  giver  rather  than  a  receiver." 
Schaff  describes  our  saying  as  "  pregnant  with 
rich  meaning,  and  shining  out  like  a  lone  star  all 
the  more  brilliantly." 

37.  Simon  said  unto  him,  From  strangers. 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  children  then  are  free. 
Simon  said  unto  him,  Yea.  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
"  Give  thou  also  unto  them,  like  the  stranger." 

Tatiani  Diatessaron  Arabicum  (Engl,  transl. 
by  H.  W.  Hogg  in  Ante-Nicene  Fathers,  vol. 
IX),  §  25  to  Matt,  xvii,  26.  The  same  addition 
as  in  the  Diatessaron,  is  also  found  in  Codex 
Alger inae  Pechover,  {Gregory,   73  ew.). 

38.  "  But  ye  seek  to  increase  from  little,  and 
from  greater  to  less.  When  ye  go  and  are  bid- 
den to  dinner,  sit  not  down  in  the  highest  place, 
lest  a  more  honorable  man  than  thou  come,  and 
he  that  bade  thee  come  and  say  to  thee.  Take  a 
lower  seat,  and  you  be  ashamed.  But  when  thou 
sittest  down  in  a  lower  seat,  and  a  less  honorable 
man  than  thou  come,  then  he  that  bade  thee  will 
say  unto  thee.  Go  up  liigher;  and  this  will  be 
profitable  to  thee." — Codex  Bezae  or  D  after 

284 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


Matt.  XX,  28.  The  Christian  poet  Juvencus  of 
the  fourth  century  has  incorporated  this  saying 
in  his  poetic  Hist.  Evang.  Ill,  613  seq. 

89.  On  the  same  day,  having  seen  one  working 
on  the  Sabbath,  He  said  to  him :  "  O  man !  if 
indeed  thou  knowest  what  thou  doest,  thou  art 
blessed ;  but  if  thou  knowest  not,  thou  art  cursed, 
and  a  transgressor  of  the  law." — Codex  D  after 
Luke  vi,  4. )  Westcott  says :  "  It  is  evident  that 
the  saying  rests  on  some  real  incident."  Plumptre 
who  regards  the  narrative  as  authentic,  remarks 
that  "  it  brings  out  with  a  marvelous  force  the 
distinction  between  the  conscious  transgression 
of  a  law  recognized  as  still  binding,  and  the  as- 
sertion of  a  higher  law  as  superseding  the  lower." 
Alford  in  loco  remarks  that  "  the  remarkable 
substitution  in  D  seems  to  be  an  interpolation, 
but  hardly  an  invention  of  a  later  time.  Its 
form  and  contents  speak  for  its  originality,  and, 
I  am  disposed  to  believe,  its  authenticity."  Ropes 
thinks  that  the  saying  might  possibly  be  authen- 
tic. Farrar  (Life  of  Christ,  I,  p.  439)  thinks 
"  the  story  too  striking,  too  intrinsically  prob- 
able, to  be  at  once  rejected  as  authentic."  .Gro- 
tins  (Annot.  in  Evang.  in  loco)  conjectured  that 
it  might  have  been  the  marginal  gloss  of  a  Mar- 
285 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

cionite,  and  directed  against  the  authority  of  the 
O.  T.  Scriptures.  Edersheim  (Life  and  Times 
of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  II,  p.  59)  regards  the 
words  as  a  spurious  addition. 

40.  For  the  Lord  said  unto  me :  "  If  you  do 
not  make  your  low  tilings  high  and  your  crooked 
things  straight,  ye  shall  not  enter  into  My  king- 
dom."— Acta  Philippi,  34  (in  Tischendorf  Acta 
Apost.  Apocr.,  p.  90).  With  this  saying  may 
be  compared  the  following :  "  Unless  ye  make 
the  right  as  the  left,  the  left  as  the  right,  the  top 
as  the  bottom,  and  the  front  as  the  backward,  ye 
shall  not  know  the  kingdom  of  God."  Pseudo- 
Linus,  Martyr'ium  Petri  (ed.  Lipsius  and  Bon- 
net in  Acta  Apost.  Apocr.  1891,  vol.  I,  p.  17). 

41.  The  Lord  says:  "  Behold  I  make  the  last 
like  the  first." — Barnabas,  vi,  13. 

42.  Thus  He  (Christ)  saith:  "  They  who  wish 
to  see  Me  and  lay  hold  on  My  kingdom  must  re- 
ceive Me  by  affliction  and  suffering." — Ibid,  vii, 
11. 

43.  Being  especially  mindful  of  the  words  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  which  He  spake,  teaching  us 
meekness  and  longsuff  ering.  For  thus  He  spoke : 
**  Be  ye  merciful,  that  ye  may  obtain  mercy ;  for- 
give, that  it  may  be  forgiven  to  you;  as  ye  do, 

286 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


so  shall  it  be  done  unto  you ;  as  ye  judge,  so  shall 
ye  be  judged;  as  ye  are  kindj  so  shall  kindness 
be  shown  to  you;  with  what  measure  ye  mete, 
with  the  same  it  shall  be  measured  to  you." — 
Clem.  Rom.  Epist.,  I,  13 ;  comp.  also  Clem.  Alex. 
Stromata,  II,  18,  where  the  last  clause,  however, 
reads :  "  with  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be 
measured  to  you  again."  Ropes  regards  the 
whole  as  a  variation  of  Luke  vi,  36-38.  Comp. 
also  Nestle,  Einfuhrung  in  das  Griechische  Neue 
Test.,  2d  ed.  1899,  p.  121. 

44.  Since  it  is  written :  "  Cleave  to  the  saints, 
for  those  that  cleave  to  them,  shall  be  made 
holy." — Ibid.  I,  46 ;  comp.  also  Clem.  Alex. 
Stromata,  v,  8.  Ropes  thinks  tliis  to  be  an  Old 
Test,  interpolation. 

45.  "  Love  covers  a  multitude  of  sins." — Ibid. 
I,  49;  II,  16;  comp.  also  Clem.  Alex.  Faedag. 
Ill,  12.  In  the  Didascalia,  II,  3,  this  saying  is 
introduced  by :  "  for  the  Lord  saith."  Ropes 
who  quotes  the  latter,  regards  it  as  unauthentic. 

46.  "  Love  beareth  all  things,  is  long-suffer- 
ing in  all  things." — Ibid.  I,  49. 

47.  For  He  saith :  "  Not  every  one  that  saith 
to  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  be  saved,  but  he  that 
worketh  righteousness." — Ibid.  II,  4. 

287 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

48.  For  this  reason,  if  we  should  do  such 
things,  saith  the  Lord :  "  even  though  ye  were 
gathered  together  to  Me  in  My  very  bosom,  yet 
if  ye  were  not  to  keep  My  commandments,  I 
would  cast  you  off,  and  say  unto  you,  depart 
from  Me,  I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are,  ye  work- 
ers of  iniquity." — Ibid.  II,  4.  Westcott  regards 
it  as  a  variation  of  Matt,  vii,  21-23 ;  Ropes  as  a 
climax  of  Luke  xiii,  26,  27. 

49.  For  the  Lord  saith :  "  Ye  shall  be  as  lambs 
in  the  midst  of  the  wolves."  And  Peter  an- 
swered and  said  unto  Him :  "  What  then,  if  the 
wolves  shall  tear  in  pieces  the  lambs.?  "  Jesus 
said  unto  Peter :  "  The  lambs  have  no  cause  after 
they  are  dead  to  fear  the  wolves.  And  do  you 
fear  not  those  who  kill  you  and  can  do  nothing 
to  you,  but  fear  him  who  after  you  are  dead  hath 
power  over  soul  and  body,  to  cast  men  into  hell- 
fire." — Ibid.  II,  5.  Westcott  regards  it  a  varia- 
tion. 

50.  The  Lord  says  in  the  Gospel :  "  If  ye 
kept  not  that  which  is  small,  who  will  give  you 
that  which  is  great. J*  For  I  say  unto  you,  that 
he  that  is  faithful  in  very  little  is  faithful  also 
in  much." — Ibid.  II,  8 ;  comp.  also  Irenaeus  adv. 
haeres,  II,  34,  3. 

288 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


51.  "  Keep  the  flesh  holy  and  the  seal  unde- 
filed,  that  ye  may  receive  eternal  life." — Ibid.  II, 
8.  Whether  this  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  separate 
agraphon,  as  some  do,  or  merely  as  an  explana- 
tion of  50,  is  hard  to  tell. 

52.  For  the  Lord  Himself  being  asked  by  one 
when  His  kingdom  would  come,  replied :  "  when 
two  shall  be  one,  that  which  is  without  as  that 
which  is  within,  and  the  male  with  the  female, 
neither  male  nor  female." — Ibid.  II,  12;  comp. 
also  Clem.  Alex.  Stromata,  HI,  6,  9,  13,  where 
these  words  are  quoted  from  the  Gospel  accord- 
ing to  the  Egyptians.     (See  above  No.  1.) 

53.  "  Preserve  ye  the  flesh,  that  ye  may  be- 
come partakers  of  the  spirit." — Ibid.  II,  14. 

54.  For  the  Lord  said :  "  I  come  to  gather  all 
nations  and  tongues." — Ibid.  II,  17. 

55.  And  thus,  as  the  true  Prophet  has  told 
us,  a  false  prophet  must  first  come  from  some 
deceiver,  and  then,  in  like  manner,  after  the  re- 
moval of  the  holy  place,  the  true  Gospel  must  be 
secretly  sent  abroad  for  the  rectification  of  the 
heresies  that  shall  be.  And  this,  also,  towards 
the  end  Antichrist  must  first  come,  and  then  our 
Jesus  must  be  revealed  to  be  indeed  the  Christ, 
and  after  that,  the  eternal  light  having  sprung 

289 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

up,  all  the  things  of  darkness  must  disappear. — 
Clementine  Homilies,  II,  17. 

56.  "  Be  ye  good  money-changers,"  said  with 
good  reason  our  Master. — Ibid.  II,  51 ;  III,  50 ; 
xviii,  20;  comp.  also  Apelles  by  Epiphan. 
Haeres,  xliv,  2;  Didaskalia,  II,  36;  Pistis  So- 
phia, p.  353;  Clem.  Alex.  Stromata,  I,  28;  Ori- 
gen  Comm.  in  Joh.  tom.  19,  2.  In  the  last  place 
it  is  quoted  as  "  mandate  of  Jesus." — ^According 
to  Delitzsch  (Ein  Tag  in  Kapernaum,  p.  136) 
the  meaning  is :  "  exchange  the  less  valuable  for 
the  most  valuable,  esteem  sacred  coin  higher  than 
common  coin,  and  highest  of  all  the  one  precious 
pearl  of  the  Gospel."  Renan  (Vie  de  Jesus,  ch. 
xi,  p.  180,  fifth  ed.)  regards  this  saying  as  an 
advice  of  voluntary  poverty.  Westcott  explains 
"  put  your  talents  to  good  use  "  (Introduction, 
4th  ed.  1872,  p.  459),  but  this  explanation 
Ropes  regards  as  unhappy,  who  believes  that  the 
meaning  is :  we  should  distinguish  between  good 
and  bad  coin.  Tliis  is  also  Schaff 's  opinion,  who 
in  quoting  the  saying  adds  "  i.  e.  experts  in  dis- 
tinguishing the  genuine  coin  from  the  counter- 
feit." 

57.  Accordingly,  therefore,  prophesying  con- 
cerning the  temple.  He  said :     "  See  ye  these 

2^ 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


buildings?  Verily  I  say  to  you,  there  shall  not  be 
left  here  one  stone  upon  another  which  shall  not 
be  taken  away ;  and  this  generation  shall  not  pass 
until  the  destruction  begin.  For  they  shall  come 
and  shall  sit  here,  and  shall  besiege  it,  and  shall 
slay  your  children  here." — Clementine  Homilies 
III,  15 ;  comp.  Matt,  xxiv,  34 ;  Luke  xix,  43. 

58.  He  said :  "  Wherefore  ye  do  err,  not 
knowing  the  true  things  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
on  this  account  ye  are  ignorant  of  the  power  of 
God." — Ibid.  Ill,  50.  This  saying  is  here  quoted 
as  an  answer  to  the  Sadducees;  in  II,  51,  it  is 
used  against  those  who  err  by  reason  of  the  false 
scriptures ;  comp.  Matt,  xxii,  29 ;  Mark  xii,  24. 

59.  Wherefore  He,  being  the  true  Prophet 
said,  "  I  am  the  gate  of  life ;  he  who  entereth 
through  Me  entereth  into  life." — Ibid.  Ill,  52; 
comp.  John  x,  9. 

60.  Still  further  He  said :  "  I  am  He  concern- 
ing whom  Moses  prophesied  saying,  a  Prophet 
shall  the  Lord  our  God  raise  unto  you  of  your 
brethren,  like  unto  me :  Him  hear  in  all  things ; 
and  whosoever  will  not  hear  that  Prophet  shall 
die." — Ibid.  Ill,  53;  comp.  Deut.  xviii,  15-19; 
Acts  iii,  22;  vii,  37. 

61.  And    to   those   who   suppose   that    God 

291 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

tempts,  as  the  Scriptures  say,  He  said :    "  The 
tempter  is  the  wicked  one." — Ibid.  Ill,  55. 

62.  "  For,"  says  He,  "  it  is  thine,  O  man,  to 
prove  My  words,  as  silver  and  money  are  proved 
among  the  exchangers." — Ibid.  Ill,  61. 

63.  He  said :  "  Blessed  is  that  man  whom  his 
Lord  shall  appoint  to  the  ministry  of  his  fellow- 
servants."— Ibid.  Ill,  64. 

64).  For  I  remember  His  saying:  Many  shall 
come  from  the  east  and  from  the  west,  the  north 
and  the  south,  and  shall  recline  on  the  bosoms  of 
Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob." — Ibid,  viii,  4 ; 
Recognitions,  iv,  4;  comp.  Luke  xiii,  29;  Matt, 
viii,  11. 

65.  For  thus  the  Prophet  has  sworn  to  us, 
saying,  "  Verily  I  say  to  you,  unless  ye  be  re- 
generated by  living  water  into  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  you  shall  not  enter 
the  kingdom  of  heaven." — Ibid,  xi,  26. 

66.  The  Prophet  of  truth  has  said:  "Good 
must  needs  come,  and  blessed,  said  He,  is  he  by 
whom  it  comes;  in  like  manner  evil  must  needs 
come,  but  woe  to  him  through  whom  it  comes." — 
Ibid,  xii,  29.  Ropes  regards  the  whole  as  a 
variation  of  Matt,  xiii,  7;  Luke  xvii,  1. 

67.  For  there  will  be,  as  the  Lord  said,  false 

292 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


prophets,  false  apostles,  heresies,  desires  for  su- 
premacy.— Ibid,  xvi,  21 ;  comp.  also  Justin 
Martyr  Dialogue,  ch.  xxxv;   Didascalia,  vi,  5. 

68.  And  the  Teacher  spoke  in  harmony  with 
this :  "  Enter  ye  through  the  strait  and  narrow 
way,  though  which  ye  shall  enter  into  life." — 
Ibid,  xviii,  17;  comp.  Matt,  vii,  13,  14. 

69.  And  elsewhere  He  said,  "  He  who  sowed 
the  bad  seed  is  the  devil,"  and  again :  "  give  no 
pretext  to  the  evil  one." — Ibid,  xix,  2;  comp. 
Matt,  xiii,  39 ;  Eph.  iv,  27. 

70.  We  remember  that  our  Lord  and  Teacher, 
commanding  us  said :  "  Keep  the  mysteries  for 
Me  and  the  sons  of  My  house." — Ibid,  xix,  20 ; 
comp.  also  Clem.  Alex.  Stromata,  v.  10. 

71.  Our  Teacher  answered:  "  Neither  did  he 
sin  at  all,  nor  his  parents,  but  that  the  power  of 
God  might  be  made  manifest  through  him  in 
healing  the  sins  of  ignorance." — Ibid,  xix,  22; 
comp.  John  ix,  2,  3. 

72.  He  said :  "  I  am  not  come  to  send  peace 
on  earth,  but  a  sword ;  and  henceforth  you  shall 
see  father  separated  from  son,  son  from  father, 
husband  from  wife,  and  wife  from  husband, 
mother  from  daughter,  and  daughter  from 
mother,  brother  from  brother,  father-in-law  from 

293 


extra-canonk;al  life  of  christ 

daughter-in-law,  friend  from  friend." — Clement. 
Recognitions,  II,  18,  19;  comp.  Matt,  x,  35, 
36 ;  Luke  xii,  53. 

73.  For  He  said :  "  Many  shall  come  in  My 
name,  clothed  outwardly  in  sheep's  clothing,  but 
inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves."  And  "  there 
shall  be  schisms  and  heresies." — Justin  Martyr 
Dialogue,  ch.  xxxv;   see  also  above  No.  67. 

74.  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  said :  "  In  what- 
soever I  may  find  you,  in  this  will  I  also  judge 
you." — Ibid.  ch.  xlvii;  comp.  also  Clem.  Alex. 
Quis  Dives  salvetur,  §  40 ;  Cyprian,  De  mortali- 
tate,  ch.  xvii;  Basil,  Epistolarum  classis  I,  ep. 
xlii,  ad  Chilonem.  Somewhat  different  Nilus 
(Migne  Ixxxix,  p.  357):  "such  as  I  may  find 
thee,  I  will  judge  thee,  saith  the  Lord." 

75.  (Christ  said):  "I  often  desired  to  hear 
one  of  these  words,  and  had  not  one  to  tell  Me." 
— Irenaeus  Against  Heresies,  I,  20,  2. 

76.  As  the  elders  who  saw  John,  the  disciple 
of  the  Lord,  related  that  they  had  heard  from 
him  how  the  Lord  used  to  teach  in  regard  to 
these  times,  and  say :  "  The  days  will  come  in 
which  vines  shall  grow,  each  having  ten  thou- 
sand branches,  and  in  each  branch  ten  thousand 
twigs,  and  in  each  twig  ten  thousand  shoots,  and 

294 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


in  each  one  of  the  shoots  ten  thousand  clusters, 
and  on  every  one  of  the  clusters  ten  thousand 
grapes,  and  every  grape  when  pressed  will  give 
five  and  twenty  metretes  of  wine.  And  when  anjj 
one  of  the  saints  shall  lay  hold  of  a  cluster, 
another  shall  cry  out, '  I  am  a  better  cluster,  take 
me,  bless  the  Lord  through  me.'  In  like  manner 
(the  Lord  declared)  that  a  grain  of  wheat  would 
produce  ten  thousand  ears,  and  that  every  ear 
should  have  ten  thousand  grains,  and  every  grain 
would  yield  ten  pounds  of  clear,  pure,  fine  flour ; 
and  that  all  other  fruit-bearing  trees,  and  seeds 
and  grass,  would  produce  in  similar  proportions ; 
and  that  all  animals  feeding  on  the  productions 
of  the  earth,  should  become  peaceful  and  har- 
monious among  each  other,  and  be  in  perfect  sub- 
jection to  man."  To  this  description  Papias 
adds :  "  These  things  are  credible  to  believers. 
And  when  Judas  the  traitor  believed  not  and 
asked :  *  how  shall  such  products  come  from  the 
Lord.''*  The  Lord  said:  *  They  shall  see  who 
come  to  these  times.' " — Ibid.  v.  33,  3.  The 
conversation  of  Judas  is  also  mentioned  by  Hip- 
polytus,  Comm.  in  Danielem,  lib.  iv  (ed.  Bratke, 
p.  44).  As  to  the  narrative  itself,  Westcott 
thinks  that  it  is  certainly  based  on  a  real  dis- 

295 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

course.  Ropes  admits  that  Westcott's  view  can- 
not very  well  be  refuted,  although  it  is  difficult 
to  perceive  at  present  the  genuine  matter.  Schaff 
regards  it  as  fabulous,  and  borrowed  from  the 
Apocalypse  of  Baruch.  This  is  also  the  opinion 
of  Schilrer  ( Geschichte  des  judischen  Volkes, 
vol.  Ill,  p.  229  [3d  ed.  1898]  ).  But  tliis  argu- 
ment is  not  strong  enough,  as  such  descriptions 
are  also  found  in  rabbinic  writings  (see  Schiirer, 
1.  c.  vol.  II,  p.  541).  The  latest  author  on  the 
Apocalypse  of  Baruch,  R.  H.  Charles  thinks  that 
both  Papias  or  Irenaus  and  the  author  of  the 
Apocalypse  have  perused  the  same  original 
source  (Apocalypse  of  Baruch,  London,  1896,  p. 
54,  note  5).  Farrar  (1.  c.  I,  p.  319fF)  says:  "  if 
we  could  attach  any  importance  to  the  strange 
story  quoted  by  Irenasus,  we  should  only  see  in 
it  a  marked  instance  of  this  playful  and  imagina- 
tive manner  in  speaking  at  unconstrained  mo- 
ments to  the  simplest  and  truest  hearted  of  His 
followers.  The  words  which  have  evidently  been 
reflected  and  reported  by  the  various  media 
through  which  they  have  reached  us,  may 
have  been  uttered  in  a  sort  of  divine  irony,  as 
though  they  were  a  playful  description  of  Mes- 
sianic blessings  to  be  fulfilled,  not  in  the  hard 
296 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


Judaic  sense,  but  in  a  truer  and  more  spiritual 
sense." 

77.  As  His  word  says :  "  a  share  is  allotted  to 
all  bj  the  Father,  according  as  each  person  is  or 
shall  be  worthy." — Ibid,  v,  36,  2. 

78.  For  the  Logos  again  says  to  us :  "  If  any 
one  kiss  a  second  time  because  it  has  given  him 
pleasure  (he  sins),"  adding:  "  therefore  the  kiss, 
or  rather  the  salutation,  should  be  given  with  the 
greatest  care,  since,  if  there  be  mixed  with  it  the 
least  defilement  of  thought,  it  excludes  us  from 
eternal  Hfe." — Athenagoras,  Legatio,  32.  Ropes 
regards  this  a  rule  of  decency  only. 

79.  Where  He  said :  "  Father,  let  their  temple 
be  made  desolate." — Hippolytus,  Demonstr.  adv. 
Judaeos,  vii  (Migne  10,  792). 

80.  (It  is  said)  in  Scripture:  "  The  just  shall 
fall  seven  times,  and  shall  rise  again." — Adv. 
Haeres.  v.  Westcott  quotes  this  saying  as  a 
variation  of  Luke  xvii,  4  (p.  452), 

81.  These  are  they  that  "  stretch  the  warps 
and  weave  nothing  "  says  the  Scripture. — Clem. 
Alexandr.,  Stromata,  1,  8, 

82.  "Thou  seest,"  He  says,  "thy  brother, 
thou  seest  thy  God."— Ibid.  I,  19 ;  II,  15 ;  Ter- 
tull.  de  orat.  eh.  xxvi. 

297 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

83.  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples :  "  ask  great 
things,  and  the  small  shall  be  added  unto  you; 
and  ask  heavenly  things,  and  the  earthly  shall  be 
added  unto  you." — Ibid.  I,  24,  but  only  the  first 
part,  so  also  in  Eusebius  in  Psalm  xvi,  2,  where 
it  is  introduced  by :  "  the  Savior  says."  The 
full  form  as  given  here  is  found  by  Origen  de 
orat.  libelL,  §  2. 

84.  Again  says  the  Lord :  "  he  who  has  mar- 
ried shall  not  send  her  (the  wife)  forth ;  and  he 
who  has  not  married  shall  not  marry;  and  who 
out  of  chastity  has  professed  not  to  marry  shall 
remain  single." — Ibid.  Ill,  15. 

85.  According  to  some  who  transpose  the 
Gospel  (Christ  says):  "Blessed  are  they  who 
have  been  persecuted  through  righteousness, 
for  they  shall  be  perfect;  and  blessed  are  they 
who  have  been  persecuted  for  My  sake,  for  they 
shall  have  a  place  where  they  shall  not  be  perse- 
cuted."— Ibid,  iv,  6. 

86.  "  Let  thy  works  shine,  and  behold  a  man 
and  his  works  before  his  face.  For  behold  God 
and  His  works."  For  the  gnostic  must,  as  far 
as  is  possible,  imitate  God. — Ibid,  iv,  26.  Ropes 
thinks  that  this  was  a  proverb  current  among 
Christian  writers. 

298 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


87.  It  was  not  tlirough  unwillingness  to  im- 
part his  blessings  that  the  Lord  announced  in 
some  Gospel :  "  JVI}^  mystery  is  for  Me  and  for 
the  sons  of  My  house." — Ibid.  v.  10;  Clement. 
Homil.,  xix,  20  ;  see  above  No.  70. 

88.  Now  the  Lord  with  His  precious  blood 
redeems  us,  freeing  us  from  our  old  bitter 
masters,  that  is,  our  sins,  on  account  of  which 
the  spiritual  powers  of  wickedness  ruled  over 
us.  Accordingly  He  leads  us  into  the  lib- 
erty of  the  Father, — sons  that  are  co-heirs 
and  friends.  "  For,"  says  the  Lord,  "  they  that 
do  the  will  of  My  Father  are  My  brethren  and 
feUow-heirs.  Call  no  man,  therefore,  father 
to  yourselves  on  earth.  For  it  is  masters  that 
are  on  earth.  But  in  heaven  is  the  Father, 
of  whom  is  the  whole  family,  both  in  heaven 
and  on  earth."  For  love  rules  willing  hearts, 
but  fear  the  unwilUng.  One  kind  of  fear  is 
base;  but  the  other  leading  as  a  pedagogue  to 
good,  brings  us  to  Christ,  and  is  saving. — Ec- 
logae  ex  script,  prophet.  §  xx. 

89.  Therefore  the  Lord  says :  "  Save  thyself 
and  thy  soul." — Excerpta  ex  Theodoto,  §  2. 

90.  Moreover,  said  the  Lord  to  them :  "  What 
do  you  admire  the  signs ;  I  give  you  a  great,  in- 

299 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

heritance   which  the  whc!c   world   has   not." — 
Macarius  Aeg.  horn.,  xii,  17. 

91.  But  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord:  "take 
care  of  faith  and  hope,  through  which  comes  the 
God-loving  and  kindly  love,  which  brings  life 
everlasting." — Ibid,  hom.,  xxxvii,  1. 

92.  And  Jesus  says :  "  For  those  that  are 
weak,  I  was  weak;  and  for  those  that  hunger, 
1  suffered  hunger;  and  for  those  that  thirst,  I 
Buffered  thirst." — Origen,  Comm.  in  Matt,  xiii,  2. 

93.  The  Savior  says :  "  He  who  is  near  Me 
is  near  the  fire;  he  who  is  far  from  Me  is  far 
from  the  kingdom." — Hom.  in  Jerem.,  xx,  3; 
Didymus  in  Ps.   xxxviii,  8. 

94.  "  For  Sodom  is  justified  of  thee,"  says  he. 
— Ibid,  viii,  7,  comp.  also  Apost.  Const.,  II,  60, 
where  we  read  that  "  the  Lord  when  reproaching 
Jerusalem,  said,  Sodom  is  justified  of  thee." 

95.  In  the  Acts  of  Paul  a  saying  is  written 
as  spoken  by  the  Lord :  "  I  shall  again  be  cruci- 
fied."— Hom.  in  John,  xx,  12.  This  word  is  the 
famous  reply  to  Peter's  question  in  the  vision  on 
the  Appian  Way,  Domine  quo  vadis?  Kvpu  ttov 
oScueij- ;  a  saying  in  a  post- Ascension  interview, 
which  belongs  to  the  realm  of  legend. 

96.  For  we  find  in  a  certain  book  the  saying 

300 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


by  the  apostles :  "  Blessed  is  he  who  also  fasts  for 
this,  that  he  might  feed  the  poor." — Horn,  m 
Levit.,  X,  2 ;  an  enigmatical  saying  according  to 
Harnack ;  comp.  his  art.  Apostellehre  in  Herzog 
3d  ed.,  p.  727.  For  other  sayings  by  Origen, 
see  above  Nos.  4,  6. 

97.  Watch  and  pray  (saith  the  Lord)  lest  ye 
fall  into  temptation  .  .  .  for  withal  the 
word  had  gone  before  that  no  one  untempted 
should  attain  the  celestial  kingdom." — Tertull. 
de  baptis.  xx ;  comp.  also  Didascalia,  II,  8 :  "  a 
man  not  tempted  is  not  approved."  For  another 
saying  by  Tertullian  see  above  No.  82. 

98.  It  is  said  in  the  Gospel  according  to  Luke : 
"  He  to  whom  more  is  forgiven,  loves  more ;  and 
he  to  whom  less  is  forgiven  loves  little." — Cy- 
prian, Testimonia,  III,  116. 

99.  The  Lord  admonishes  and  says :  "  Grieve 
not  the  Holy  Spirit  which  is  in  you,  and  do  not 
extinguish  the  light  which  shines  in  you." — 
Pseudo-Cyprian,  De  aleatoribus,  iii. 

100.  The  Lord  Himself  instructs  and  admon- 
ishes us  in  the  epistle  of  His  disciple  John  to  the 
people :  "  You  see  Me  thus  in  yourselves  as  one 
of  you  sees  himself  in  the  water  or  a  mirror." — 
Idem.  De  duobus  montibus,  xiii. 

301 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

101.  But  also  now  concerning  this,  it  hath 
been  said :  "  Let  thine  alms  sweat  in  thy  hands 
until  thou  knowest  to  whom  thou  shouldst  give." 

r — Didache  orTeaching  of  the  XII  Apostles,  i,  6. 

102.  Since  even  the  Lord  says :  "  The  giver 
was  happier  than  the  receiver."  For  it  is  again 
said  by  Him :  "  woe  to  those  that  have,  and  re- 
ceive in  hypocrisy,  or  who  are  able  to  support 
themselves,  yet  will  receive  of  others:  for  both 
of  them  shall  give  an  account  to  the  Lord  God 
in  the  day  of  Judgment." — Apostolic  Constitu- 
tion, iv,  3.     See  also  above  No.  36. 

103.  He  told  us  beforehand,  when  He  taught : 
*'  The  weak  shall  be  saved  through  the  strong." 
— Apostolic  Church  Ordinances,  xxvi. 

104.  For  the  Lord  says:  "anger  destroys 
even  the  prudent." — Didascalia,  II,  3. 

105.  "  A  man  not  tempted  is  not  approved," 
says  the  Scripture. — Ibid.  II,  8;  comp.  also 
above  No.  97. 

106.  Therefore  I  have  also  said  in  the  Gospel: 
"  pray  for  your  enemies,  and  blessed  are  they 
who  mourn  over  the  destruction  of  the  unbeliev- 
ers."— Ibid.  V,  15 ;  parallel  to  this  is  v,  12,  13 : 
"  therefore  when  you  fast  pray  for  those  that  are 
about  to  perish."     See  also  above  No.  67. 

303 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


107.  "  If  any  one  takes  the  body  of  the  Lord 
and  rinses  (the  mouth)  shall  be  accursed,"  as  tlie 
Lord  says. — Horos  Kanonikos,  No.  3  (in  Lag- 
arde,  Reliquiae  juris  ecclesiastici,  p.  36). 

108.  And  that  He  was  troubled  agrees  with 
that  which  He  said :  how  long  shall  I  be  with  you 
and  speak  with  you?  and  in  another  place:  I 
am  disgusted  with  that  generation.  They 
tempted  Me,  He  said,  ten  times,  but  these  twenty 
times  and  ten  times  ten. — Ephraem.  Syr.  Evan- 
gel. Concord.  Expos,  (ed.  Mosinger,  p.  203). 

109.  "  But  where  there  are  pains,  thither  runs 
the  physician." — Ibid.  p.  200. 

110.  And  when  His  disciples  asked  the  Lord, 
they  only  asked  for  this  only  that  they  said  unto 
Him :  "  increase  our  faith."  He  had  said  to 
them :  "if  you  have  faith,  a  mountain  will  also 
move  from  you."  And  He  says  to  them :  "  You 
shall  not  doubt  and  sink  in  the  world  like  Simon, 
who,  when  he  doubted,  was  on  the  point  of  sink- 
ing."— Aphraates,  Horn.  I  (transl.  by  Bert,  p. 

15). 

111.  As  it  is  written  that  our  Lord  said: 
"  Pray  and  become  not  tired." — Ibid.  iv.  (ed. 
Wright,  p.  75;  Bert.,  p.  m). 

112.  "  Blessed  art  thmi,  who  believest  on  Me, 

303 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

although  thou  hast  not  seen  Me,  for  with  refer- 
ence to  Me  it  is  written :  Those,  who  see  Me,  will 
not  believe  on  Me,  and  those  who  seek  Me  not, 
shall  believe  on  Me." — Addaei  Doctrina  (ed. 
Phillips,  p.  4).  Ropes  is  of  opinion  that  we 
have  here  not  a  word  of  Jesus,  but  a  reminiscence 
of  Isa.  vi,  9,  and  lii,  15. 

113.  Because  our  Lord  thus  charged  us,  that, 
whatsoever  we  preach  in  words  before  the  people, 
we  should  practice  it  in  deeds  before  all  men. — 
Ibid.  p.  39. 

114.  I  will  not  frustrate  the  word  of  Christ 
which  He  spake  to  us :  "  accept  not  anything 
from  any  man,  and  possess  not  anything  in  this 
world." — Ibid.  p.  48 ;  the  last  clause  "  possess 
not,"  etc.,  is  also  found  by  Ephraem.  Syr.  Testa- 
mentum  (ed.  Assemani,  II,  p.  232). 

115.  But  our  Lord  answered  the  apostles  when 
they  asked  what  one  ought  to  think  of  the  Jewish 
prophets,  who,  as  was  supposed,  had  formerly 
said  something  concerning  His  coming,  and  sup- 
posing that  they  (the  apostles)  thought  now 
something  similar :  "  ye  have  dismissed  the  liv- 
ing. Who  was  before  you  and  talk  of  the  dead." 
What  wonder  when  the  heretics  invented  such 
things  about  the  prophets — for  this  word  belongs 

304 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


to  some  apocryphal  writing — since  they  accept 
not  these  writings  (i.  e.  the  sacred). — ^August. 
Contra  adversarium  legis  et  prophet.  II,  4,  14. 

116.  "  Rejoice  and  be  glad  and  add  joy  above 
your  joy,  for  the  times  are  fulfilled  that  I  may 
put  on  my  garment  which  is  prepared  for  me 
from  the  beginning." — Pistis  Sophia  (Latin,  p. 
11).  According  to  Harnack  this  passage  is 
taken  from  a  gnostic  writing,  perhaps  from  a 
Gospel. 

117.  "  Therefore  I  said  to  you  once:  "You 
shall  sit  upon  thrones  in  My  kingdom  to  My 
right  and  to  My  left,  and  reign  with  Me." — 
Ibid.  p.  230. 

118.  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you:  whosoever  has 
quickened  My  soul  and  has  preserved  her  apart 
from  his  light  in  the  kingdom  of  light,  will  re- 
ceive another  glory  in  place  of  the  soul  which  he 
has  preserved." — Ibid.  p.  265. 

119.  The  teacher  of  Sergius  the  reformer  of 
the  Paulicians  (d.  835)  quotes  as  words  of 
Jesus :  "  My  friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong ;  thou 
hast  received  thine  own  in  thy  Ufetime,  take  now 
what  is  tliine  and  depart." — Zahn,  Kanon  II, 
455. 

120.  Rabbi  Eliezer  was  seized  on  the  charge 

305 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

of  being  a  Christian.  The  judge  said  to  him: 
Thou,  an  aged  man,  busy  thyself  with  such  idle 
matters !  He  replied :  I  admit  the  faithful  re- 
proof of  the  judge.  The  latter,  thinking  that 
he  referred  to  him,  whereas  he  really  meant  God 
said:  Since  you  trust  me  you  are  discharged. 
He  went  home  deeply  distressed,  and  would  re- 
ceive no  consolation  from  his  disciple.  Rabbi! 
cried  Akiba,  allow  me  to  say  something,  which 
I  have  learned  from  thee.  Say  it,  was  the  reply. 
Hast  thou  not  had  a  dispute  with  a  Christian, 
and  by  approving  what  he  said,  got  thyself  into 
trouble.''  Akiba!  said  he,  thou  just  remindest 
me  of  a  certain  incident.  Once  upon  a  time  I 
was  walking  in  the  upper  street  of  Sepphoris, 
when  I  met  one  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, whose  name  was  Jacob,  a  man  of  Kefr 
Sekanja,  who  said  to  me:  it  is  written  in  your 
law :  "  Thou  shalt  not  bring  the  hire  of  a  whore 
into  the  house  of  the  Lord  thy  God"  (Deut.  xxiii, 
18).  May  a  water-closet  be  made  with  it  for 
the  high-priest?  This  question  I  could  not  an- 
swer. Whereupon  he  said  to  me :  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth taught  me  thus  on  the  subject.  It  is  written, 
He  gathered  it  of  the  hire  of  an  harlot  (Micah,  i, 
7) ;  that  is,  it  came  from  an  impure  source,  and 
306 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


it  may  be  applied  to  an  impure  use.  When  I 
heard  this  explanation  I  was  pleased  with  it,  and 
on  this  account  I  was  accused  of  heresy,  because 
I  trespassed  against  the  word :  "  remove  thy  way 
far  from  her  "  (Prov.  v,  8) :  "  from  her,"  i.  e. 
from  heresy. — Talmud  Aboda  Zarah,  fol.  17, 
col.  1,  2;  comp.  also  Midrash  Koheleth,  i,  8. 
Ropes  quotes  this  narrative  on  account  of  the 
traditional  saying  of  Jesus,  which  he  regards  as 
genuine.  The  veracity  of  the  narrative  is  de- 
fended by  the  late  Jewish  scholar  Derenbourg 
in  Essai  sur  Vhistoire  et  la  geographie  de  la  Pal- 
estine, pp.  357-360.  Schiirer,  Geschichte  des  jU- 
dischen  Volkes  zur  Zeit  Jesu,  II,  372  (Leipsic, 
1898)  and  liis  review  of  Toettermann,  Rabbi  Eli- 
ezer  ben  Hyrcanos  sive  de  vi  qua  doctrina  Christ- 
iana primis  seculis  illustrissimos  quosdam  Judae- 
orum  attraxit,  Lipsiae,  1877  (in  Theol.  Lit- 
eraturzeitung,  1877,  col.  687-689),  regards  the 
whole  as  a  legend.  The  late  Edersheim,  Life 
and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah,  I,  537,  in  re- 
ferring to  this  narrative  remarks :  "  it  need 
scarcely  be  said  that  the  whole  story  is  a  fabrica- 
tion, indeed,  the  supposed  Christian  interpreta- 
tion is  not  even  fit  to  be  reproduced ;  and  we  only 
mention  the  circumstance  as  indicating  the  con- 

307 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

trast  between  what  Talmudism  would  have  de- 
lighted in  hearing  from  its  Messiah,  and  what 
Jesus  spoke."  We  admit  that  the  object  spoken 
of  in  this  narrative  is  rather  of  a  trifling  charac- 
ter; but  since  conversations  between  Christians 
and  Jews  are  mentioned  in  the  Talmud,  we  do 
not  see  why  this  one  should  be  rejected  and  others 
accepted.  The  Eliezer  of  the  narrative  flourished 
between  90-130  a.  d.,  when  intercourse  between 
Christians  and  Jews  was  of  a  frequent  occur- 
rence. 

121.  Imma  Solome  was  the  wife  of  Rabbi  Elie- 
zer and  sister  of  Rabban  Gamaliel.  There  was 
a  certain  philosopher  (or  Christian  judge)  in 
the  neighborhood,  who  had  the  reputation  of 
never  taking  a  bribe.  They  wished  to  have  a 
laugh  at  him.  So  she  brought  him  a  golden 
candle-stick,  came  before  him,  and  said :  "  I  wish 
to  have  a  portion  of  the  property  of  my  father." 
The  philosopher  said :  "  divide  it."  Gamaliel 
said  unto  him :  "  It  is  written  in  the  law :  where 
there  is  a  son,  a  daughter  does  not  inherit."  The 
philosopher  said:  From  the  day  you  were  re- 
moved from  your  land,  the  law  of  Moses  was 
taken  away  and  the  Gospel  given,  and  in  it  is 
written :  "  The  son  and  daughter  shall  inherit 
308 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


alike."  Next  day  Gamaliel  brought  to  him  a 
Libyan  ass.  The  philosopher  said  to  him:  I 
have  looked  further  on  in  the  Gospel  and  there  it 
is  written :  I,  Gospel,  came  not  to  take  away  from 
the  law  of  Moses,  but  to  add  to  it,  and  it  is 
written  in  it :  "  where  there  is  a  son,  a  daughter 
shall  not  inherit."  Imma  said  to  him:  let  thy 
light  shine  like  the  candle-stick.  Gamaliel  said: 
The  ass  has  come  and  knocked  down  the  candle- 
stick.— Talmud  Shabbath,  fol.  116,  col.  1.  2. 
We  have  here  no  doubt  some  saying  taken  from 
one  of  the  recensions  of  the  Gospels  current  at 
the  time,  and  it  may  be  that  it  was  the  Gospel 
of  Matthew  which  existed  in  Hebrew.  The  point 
which  concerns  us  is :  was  the  passage  "  the  son 
and  the  daughter  shall  inherit  alike  "  in  the  Gos- 
pel or  not  ?  If  it  was,  the  Gospel  was  none  other, 
as  already  stated,  than  that  of  the  Hebrew  Mat- 
thew, whose  existence  is  testified  by  Papias,  Ire- 
nasus,  PantjEnus,  Origen,  Eusebius,  Cyril  of  Je- 
rusalem, Epiphanius  and  Jerome,  and  from  which 
writers  like  Clement  of  Rome,  Barnabas,  et  al, 
quoted.  If  it  was  not  that  Gospel,  the  proba- 
bility is  that  this  passage  belonged  to  those  say- 
ings of  Jesus  which  were  current  in  the  early 
church. 

309 


EXTRA-CANONICAL  LIFE  OF  CHRIST 

122.  This,  too,  is  one  of  Christ's  precepts, 
namely  that  one  should  work  for  the  need  of 
the  body  and  take  care  of  nothing  except  of 
virtue. — Catena  in  Matth.  I,  p.  214,  ex  Theo- 
doro  Monacho  (in  Fabricius;  Codex  Apocr.  Nov. 
Test.  Ill,  p.  522). 

123.  As  also  the  Lord  said  in  the  Gospel: 
when  one  gives  up  every  thing  for  My  name's 
sake,  he  will  inherit  eternal  life  at  My  second 
coming. — Agathangelus  (ed.  de  Lagarde,  p.  34, 
81). 

124.  Near  Golgotha  there  is  also  another 
place  which  is  called  the  middle  of  the  world, 
where  the  liOrd  put  His  finger  saying :  "  This 
is  the  middle  of  the  world." — Philippi  descriptio 
terrae  sanctae  (c.  1289)  ed.  W.  Neumann  (in 
der  Oesterreich.  Vierteljahrsschrift  fiir  Katho- 
lische  Theologie,  1872,  p.  37). 

125.  For  the  Lord  Christ  has  said  (to  Peter)  : 
*'  verily  thine  eye  shall  never  be  closed  in  eternity 
for  the  light  of  this  world." — Les  mo'ines  Egyp- 
tiens  par  E.  Ametineau.  Vie  de  Schnudi,  Paris, 
1889,  p.  312  (L.  E.  Iselin,  Eine  bisher  unbe- 
Icannte  Version  des  erst  en  Theils  der  Apostellehre 
in  Texte  und  Untersuchungen  XIII,  1,  p.  25fF. 
' — Schnudi  was  an  Egyptian  monk  (5th  cent.), 

310 


SAYINGS  OF  JESUS 


whore  Arabic  address  is  a  somewhat  enlarged  re- 
production of  the  Didache.  Comp.  Harnack, 
art.  Apostellehre  in  Herzog  3d  ed.  (1896),  p. 
724. 

126.  "  Men  must  give  an  account  of  every 
good  word  wliich  they  shall  not  speak." — Cod.  C. 
of  the  Palestinian-Syriac  Lectionary  in  Matt. 
12,  36.  Comp.  A.  S.  Lewis,  In  the  Shadow  of 
Sinai,  1898,  pp.  256-261. 

127.  "  They  who  are  with  Me  have  not  un- 
derstood Me." — Quoted  by  Harnack  from  the 
Acta  Petri  Vercell.  10  or  the  third  Oxyrhynchus 
Logion. 


311 


MOHAMMEDAN  SAYINGS 

"  Jesus,  the  Son  of  Mary,  said,  '  He  who 
longs  to  be  rich  is  like  a  man  who  drinks  sea- 
water;  the  more  he  drinks  the  more  thirsty  he 
becomes,  and  never  leaves  oif  drinking  till  he 
perishes.'  " — Quoted  by  Hofmann,  Schaff, 
Farrar. 

"  Jesus  once  said,  *  The  world  is  like  a  deceit- 
ful *  woman,  who,  when  asked  how  many  hus- 
bands she  had  had,  answered,  so  many  that  she 
could  not  count  them.'  And  Jesus  said,  '  When 
they  died,  did  they  leave  you  behind.'' '  '  On  the 
contrary,'  said  she,  '  I  murdered  and  got  rid  of 
them.'  '  Then,'  said  Jesus,  '  It  is  strange  that 
the  rest  had  so  little  wisdom,  that  when  they  saw 
how  you  treated  the  others  they  still  burned  with 
such  love  for  you,  and  did  not  take  warning  from 
their  predecessors.'  " — Quoted  by  Hofmann  and 
Farrar. 

^  This  is  Farrar's  translation.    Hofmann  reads :  abgC' 
lebt,  i.  e.,  worn  out  by  age,  decayed. 

312 


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